Nonlinear shallow-water solutions using the weak temperature gradient approximation

A form of the weak temperature gradient (WTG) approximation, in which the temperature tendency and advection terms are neglected in the temperature equation so that the equation reduces to a diagnostic balance between heating and vertical motion, is applied to a two-dimensional nonlinear shallow-water model with the heating (mass source) parameterized as a Newtonian relaxation on the temperature (layer thickness) towards a prescribed function of latitude and longitude, containing an isolated maximum or minimum, as in the classic linear Gill problem. In this model, temperature variations are retained in the Newtonian heating term, so that it is not a pure WTG system. It contains no free unbalanced modes, but reduces to the Gill model in the steady linear limit, so that steady solutions may be thought of as containing components corresponding to unbalanced modes in the same sense as the latter. The equations are solved numerically and are compared with full shallow-water solutions in which the WTG approximation is not made. Several external parameters are varied, including the strength, location, sign, and horizontal scale of the mass source, the Rayleigh friction coefficient, and the time scale for the relaxation on the mass field. Indices of the Walker and Hadley circulations are examined as functions of these external parameters. Differences between the WTG solutions and those from the full shallow-water system are small over most of the parameter regime studied, which includes time-dependent as well as steady solutions.     

Solitary waves in stratified fluids and their interaction

A systematic procedure is proposed for obtaining solutions for solitary waves in stratified fluids. The stratification of the fluid is assumed to be exponential or linear. Its comparison with existing results for an exponentially stratified fluid shows agreement, and it is found that for the odd series of solutions the direction of displacement of the streamlines from their asymptotic levels is reversed when the stratification is changed from exponential to linear. Finally the interaction of solitary waves is considered, and the Korteweg-de Vries equation and the Boussinesq equation are derived. Thus the known solutions of these equations can be relied upon to provide the answers to the interaction problem.     

Localized convective flows in a nonuniformly heated liquid layer

Within the class of exact solutions of the thermal-convection equations in the Oberbeck-Boussinesq approximation, which assumes a linear dependence of the temperature and the vertical velocity component on the height, a non-self-similar behavior of localized disturbances of a special type in a nonuniformly heated liquid layer is studied. It is shown that in an unstably stratified medium these disturbances can evolve to isothermal vortex structures of Burgers type. In the conditions of stable stratification or uniform heating of the layer, the disturbances considered tend to the state of rest in an oscillating or monotonic manner. New solutions describing self-similar convective vortices are found.     

Propagation of discontinuities against a static background

The solution of the ideal gasdynamic equations describing propagation of a shock wave initiated, for example, by the motion of a piston against an inhomogeneous static background is considered. The solution is constructed in the form of Taylor series in a special time variable which is equal to zero on the shock wave. In the case of weak shock waves divergence of the series serves as the constraint for such an approach. Then the solution is constructed by linearizing the equations about the solution with a weak discontinuity. In the case of a given background the last solution can be always found exactly by solving successively a set of transport equations, all these equations are reduced to linear ordinary differential equations. The presentation begins from the one-dimensional solutions with plane waves and ends by discussion of spatial problems.     

Canonical equations for almost periodic,weakly nonlinear gravity waves

A set of stable canonical equations of second order is derived, which describe the propagation of almost periodic waves in the horizontal plane, including weakly nonlinear interactions. The derivation is based on the Hamiltonian theory of surface waves, using an extension of the Ritz variational method. For waves of infinitesimal amplitude the well-known linear refraction-diffraction model (the mild-slope equation) is recovered. In deep water the nonlinear dispersion relation for Stokes waves is found. In shallow water the equations reduce to Airy's nonlinear shallow-water equations for very long waves. Periodic solutions with steady profile show the occurrence of a singularity at the crest, at a critical wave height.     

Formation of azimuthal flows driven by a mass source-sink system in a rotating paraboloid

The process of formation of azimuthal flows generated by a mass source-sink system in a shallow water layer on the surface of a rotating paraboloid is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The calculations are carried out within the framework of the shallow-water equations with allowance for bottom friction. Asymptotic solutions describing the process of establishment of steady-state azimuthal flows which takes place after instantaneous initiation of the source-sink system are constructed. It is shown that theory and experiment are in satisfactory agreement.     

Numerical outflow boundary conditions for the shallow-water equations

A simple explanation is given of the occurrence of wiggles in the flow field near outflow boundaries. If the shallow-water equations are solved numerically spurious solutions with an oscillatory character turn out to exist, which can be generated by certain additional numerical boundary conditions on the downstream side. The wiggles usually damp quickly with the distance from the boundary. Some ways of handling the downstream boundary are given which largely avoid the occurrence of wiggles.     

Surface waves induced by external periodic pressure in a fluid with an uneven bottom

The behavior of waves generated by periodic pressure on the free surface is considered within the linear shallow-water theory. The fluid depth is a piecewise-constant function, which implies the presence of a finite-size bottom trench or elevation. For an arbitrary shape of bottom unevenness, the solution of the problem reduces to a system of integral boundary equations. Manifestation of wave-guiding properties of bottom unevenness is illustrated by an example of an extended rectangular elevation.Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 70–77, January–February, 2005.     

Solution with a linear velocity field for a submodel of one-dimensional gas motions

A method for finding exact solutions of the equations of gas dynamics with a linear velocity field is proposed. This method was used to find exact solutions for one submodel of the evolutionary type which was fully integrated for the case of a polytropic gas. Examples of particle motion for the obtain exact solutions are given.     

Shallow waves in a two-layer vortex fluid under a lid

A mathematical model of the vortex motion of an ideal two-layer fluid in a narrow straight channel is considered. The fluid motion in the Eulerian-Lagrangian coordinate system is described by quasilinear integrodifferential equations. Transformations of a set of the equations of motion which make it possible to apply the general method of studying integrodifferential equations of shallow-water theory, which is based on the generalization of the concepts of characteristics and the hyperbolicity for systems with operator functionals, are found. A characteristic equation is derived and analyzed. The necessary hyperbolicity conditions for a set of equations of motion of flows with a monotone-in-depth velocity profile are formulated. It is shown that the problem of sufficient hyperbolicity conditions is equivalent to the solution of a certain singular integral equation. In addition, the case of a strong jump in density (a heavy fluid in the lower layer and a quite lightweight fluid in the upper layer) is considered. A modeling that results in simplification of the system of equations of motion with its physical meaning preserved is carried out. For this system, the necessary and sufficient hyperbolicity conditions are given. Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 68–80, May–June, 1999.     

Linear interactions affecting the propogation of waves in a linear elastic fluid

Small linear interactions affecting the propogation of waves in a linear elastic fluid are investigated. These linear interactions may occur as a result of impurities on the surface of a linear elastic fluid. These interactions are imposed on the linear wave equations which were investigated in Momoniat (Propogation of waves in a linear elastic fluid, submitted for publication) using the non-classical contact symmetry method. The occurrence of a small parameter in the wave equations under consideration in this paper makes the problem ideal for analysis using an approximate non-classical contact symmetry method. Approximate contact symmetries and approximate solutions are determined and discussed for the problems under consideration. Comparisons are made with the case of no interaction.     

Improved finite element forms for the shallow-water wave equations

This paper presents new finite element formulations of the shallow-water wave equations which use different basis functions for the velocity and height fields. These arrangements are analysed with the Fourier transform technique which was developed by Schoenstadt,¹ and they are also compared with other finite difference and finite element schemes. The new schemes are integrated in time for two initial states and compared with analytic solutions and numerical solutions from other schemes. The behaviour of the new forms is excellent and they are also convenient to apply in two dimensions with triangular elements.     

Finite Dimensional State Representation of Linear and Nonlinear Delay Systems

We consider the question of when delay systems, which are intrinsically infinite dimensional, can be represented by finite dimensional systems. Specifically, we give conditions for when all the information about the solutions of the delay system can be obtained from the solutions of a finite system of ordinary differential equations. For linear autonomous systems and linear systems with time-dependent input we give necessary and sufficient conditions and in the nonlinear case we give sufficient conditions. Most of our results for linear renewal and delay differential equations are known in different guises. The novelty lies in the approach which is tailored for applications to models of physiologically structured populations. Our results on linear systems with input and nonlinear systems are new.     

Motion of a gas mixture through a porous medium with sorption

Solutions are investigated of a system of linear partial differential equations describing the motion of a gaseous (liquid) mixture through an undeformable homogeneous porous medium with sorption at interfaces between gaseous (liquid) and solid phases, the kinetics of which are described by a linear equation. If the porous medium consists of spherical granules, the problem is solved in quadratures. For the case of symmetric granules with arbitrary symmetry parameter, various approximate solutions are obtained; first and central moments are used as criteria for the accuracy of the approximations.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 95–100, September–October, 1970.     

Edge effects in a sandwich plate: a plane problem

Edge effects in a rectangular sandwich plate with isotropic components are studied. The mathematical model is represented by the homogeneous equations of linear elasticity, which is indicative of an approximate approach in edge-effect theory. The initial equations are reduced to inhomogeneous ones and an exact problem is formulated. Approximate solutions are found by the mesh method. Discrete problems are based on the concept of base scheme. The mesh equations are written in an explicit form and then solved using a computation optimization procedure. As an example, edge-effect zones in a real composite are analyzed.__________Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 40, No. 12, pp. 124–133, December 2004.     

Open-channel waves generated by propagation of a discontinuous wave over a bottom step

This paper presents the results of theoretical and experimental studies of open-channel waves generated by the propagation of a discontinuous dam-break wave over a bottom step. The cases where the initial tailwater level is higher than the step height (the step is under water) and where this value is smaller than the step height (at the initial time, water is absent on the step) are considered. Exact solutions are constructed using modified first-approximation equations of shallow-water theory, which admit the propagation of discontinuous waves in a dry channel. On the stationary hydraulic jump formed above the bottom step, the total free-stream energy is assumed to be conserved. These solutions agree with experimental data on various parameters (types of waves, wave propagation velocity, asymptotic depths behind the wave fronts). __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 31–44, January–February, 2008.     

Run-up of long waves on background shear currents

Long waves in shallow water propagating over a background shear current towards a sloping beach are investigated, and exact solutions are found using a hodograph transform and separation of variables. Inspired by the work of Carrier and Greenspan on steady waves over a uniform beach profile in the irrotational setting, we study waves which propagate over a background shear current. The shallow-water equations are obtained from the nonlinear Benney equations, and exact solutions are found with help of the hodograph transformation in conjunction with several further changes of variables. The hodograph transformation is effected by finding the Riemann invariants after the equations are written in the standard form of barotropic gas dynamics. In the current work, the background flow features zero mass flux, as would be required by a real flow at a beach. Moreover, in contrast with previous work, the present approach allows separate study of the influence of the strength of the shear current and the slope of the bottom profile. This enables us to provide an estimate of the run-up as a function of the shear flow while keeping the bottom slope constant.     

Asymptotic solutions of the axisymmetric moist Hadley circulation in a model with two vertical modes

A simplified model of the moist axisymmetric Hadley circulation is examined in the asymptotic limit in which surface drag is strong and the meridional wind is weak compared to the zonal wind. Our model consists of the quasi-equilibrium tropical circulation model (QTCM) equations on an axisymmetric aquaplanet equatorial beta-plane. This model includes two vertical momentum modes, one baroclinic and one barotropic. Prior studies use either continuous stratification, or a shallow water system best viewed as representing the upper troposphere. The analysis here focuses on the interaction of the baroclinic and barotropic modes, and the way in which this interaction allows the constraints on the circulation known from the fully stratified case to be satisfied in an approximate way. The dry equations, with temperature forced by Newtonian relaxation towards a prescribed radiative equilibrium, are solved first. To leading order, the resulting circulation has a zonal wind profile corresponding to uniform angular momentum at a level near the tropopause, and zero zonal surface wind, owing to the cancelation of the barotropic and baroclinic modes there. The weak surface winds are calculated from the first-order corrections. The broad features of these solutions are similar to those obtained in previous studies of the dry Hadley circulation. The moist equations are solved next, with a fixed sea surface temperature at the lower boundary and simple parameterizations of surface fluxes, deep convection, and radiative transfer. The solutions yield the structure of the barotropic and baroclinic winds, as well as the temperature and moisture fields. In addition, we derive expressions for the width and strength of the equatorial precipitating region (ITCZ) and the width of the entire Hadley circulation. The ITCZ width is on the order of a few degrees in the absence of any horizontal diffusion and is relatively insensitive to parameter variations.