A new two-scale model for large eddy simulation of wall-bounded flows

A new hybrid approach to model high Reynolds number wall-bounded turbulent flows is developed based on coupling a two-level simulation (TLS) approach (Kemenov and Menon, 2006 [1], 2007 [2] in the inner region with conventional large eddy simulation (LES) away from the wall. This new approach is significantly different from previous near-wall approaches for LES. In this hybrid TLS–LES approach, a very fine small-scale (SS) mesh is embedded inside the coarse LES mesh. The SS equations capture fine-scale temporal and spatial variations in all three Cartesian directions for all three velocity components near the wall. The TLS–LES equations are derived using a new scale separation operator that allows a smooth transition between the two regions, with the equations in the transition region obtained by blending the TLS large-scale and LES equations. New terms in the hybrid region are identified. The TLS–LES approach is used to study the near-wall features in canonical turbulent channel flows for a range of Reynolds number using relatively coarse large-scale (LS) grids. Results show that the TLS–LES approach is able to capture the effect of both the LS and SS features in the wall region consistently for the range of simulated Reynolds number.     

Temporal evolution of the EIA along 95°E as obtained from GNSS TEC measurements and SAMI3 model

The total electron content (TEC) derived from GNSS measurements at a trans-hemispheric meridional chain of ground stations around 95°E longitude are used to study the quiet time inter-hemispheric structure and dynamics of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) during the period March 2015 to February 2016. The stations are Dibrugarh (27.5°N, 95°E, 43° dip), Kohima (25.6°N, 94.1°E, 39° dip), Aizawl (23.7°N, 92.8°E, 36° dip), Port Blair (11.63°N, 92.71°E, 9° dip) and Cocos Islands (12.2°S, 96.8°E, 43° dip). The observation shows that the northern crest of the EIA lies in the south of 23°N (Aizawl) in all seasons but recedes further south towards the equator during December solstice. The largest poleward expansion of the northern (southern) EIA is observed in the March equinox (December solstice). The equinoctial and hemispherical asymmetry of TEC is noted. The winter anomaly is observed in the northern hemisphere but not in the southern hemisphere. The highest midday TEC over any station is observed in the March equinox. The TEC in southern summer (December solstice) is significantly higher than that in the northern summer (June solstice). The observed northern EIA contracts equatorward in the postsunset period of solstice but the southern EIA persists late into the midnight in the December solstice. The asymmetry may be attributed to the different geographic location of the magnetically conjugate stations. The SAMI3 simulations broadly capture the EIA structure and the inter-hemispheric asymmetry during solstices. The difference between observations and the SAMI3 is higher in March equinox and December solstice. The higher E?×?B vertical drift in the 90–100°E sector and the large geographic-geomagnetic offset in observing stations may have contributed to the observed differences.     

A study of a long duration B9 flare-CME event and associated shock

We present and discuss here the observations of a small long duration GOES B-class flare associated with a quiescent filament eruption, a global EUV wave and a CME on 2011 May 11. The event was well observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), GONG H$\alpha$, STEREO and Culgoora spectrograph. As the filament erupted, ahead of the filament we observed the propagation of EIT wave fronts, as well as two flare ribbons on both sides of the polarity inversion line (PIL) on the solar surface. The observations show the co-existence of two types of EUV waves, i.e., a fast and a slow one. A type II radio burst with up to the third harmonic component was also associated with this event. The evolution of photospheric magnetic field showed flux emergence and cancellation at the filament site before its eruption.     

Using electrical impedance spectroscopy to detect water in planetary regoliths

We present data in examination of the utility of electrical impedance spectroscopy measurements for in situ surveys to determine the water content, distribution, and phase in unconsolidated planetary regolith. We conducted calibration experiments under conditions relevant to Mars: the concentration of electrolytes in solution was varied up to 1 M to simulate the effects of unsaturated dissolved minerals and brines. We also varied the water content of heterogeneous water/sand mixtures, made with these electrolytic solutions from 0.01 wt% to 10 wt%. Tests were performed at temperatures from +25 degrees C to -65 degrees C. Conductivity and dielectric permittivity calculated from the impedance measurements indicate an expected dependence on electrolyte concentration and relative independence from electrolyte type for both liquid water and water ice. Conductivity and calculated dielectric relaxation times for these aqueous solutions agree with existing data in the literature. The relative permittivity for heterogeneous water/sand mixtures is dominated by polarization effects for the electrode configuration used. However, the characteristic orientational relaxation of ice is still visible. The conductivity retains the strong dependence on electrolyte concentration, and the permittivity is still not affected by electrolyte type. A "universal" curve between conductivity and water content establishes detectability limits of <0.01 wt% and approximately 0.3 wt% for water/sand mixtures containing liquid water and ice, respectively.     

Optimal trends in Manoeuvre Load Control at subsonic and supersonic flight points for tailless delta wing aircraft

Manoeuvre Load Alleviation (MLA) is the concept of redistribution of forces and moments on airframe through optimal actuation of control surfaces. The effect is to minimise the stresses near wing root and improve fatigue life of airframe components, such as, the frequently studied wing root fitting connecting wing to the fuselage. The configuration is a typical tailless delta wing aircraft having inboard and outboard Elevons (a combination of Elevator and Aileron) placed symmetrically on starboard and port side. The problem is formulated as minimisation of independent conflicting multiple objectives of wing root bending and twisting moments, with stability equations as equality constraints and actuator hinge moments as inequality constraints. Hybrid method is used as optimisation technique, which is evolved from the combination of heuristic based Elitist non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) and calculus based Goal Programming methods. The primary objective of this paper is to bring out the structural benefits attainable for some of the combined critical manoeuvre load cases at subsonic and supersonic flight points. The combined critical manoeuvre load cases demarcate the limit to which airframe is loaded. The minimisation achieved is better for flight points at supersonic as compared to subsonic Mach numbers.     

Actors of the main activity in large complex centres during the 23 solar cycle maximum

During the maximum of Solar Cycle 23, large active regions had a long life, spanning several solar rotations, and produced large numbers of X-class flares and CMEs, some of them associated to magnetic clouds (MCs). This is the case for the Halloween active regions in 2003. The most geoeffective MC of the cycle (Dst = −457) had its source during the disk passage of one of these active regions (NOAA 10501) on 18 November 2003. Such an activity was presumably due to continuous emerging magnetic flux that was observed during this passage. Moreover, the region exhibited a complex topology with multiple domains of different magnetic helicities. The complexity was observed to reach such unprecedented levels that a detailed multi-wavelength analysis is necessary to precisely identify the solar sources of CMEs and MCs. Magnetic clouds are identified using in situ measurements and interplanetary scintillation (IPS) data. Results from these two different sets of data are also compared.     

Kelvin–Helmholtz instability in a twisting solar polar coronal hole jet observed by SDO/AIA

We investigate the conditions under which the fluting ($m=2$), $m=3$, and $m=12$ magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes in a uniformly twisted flux tube moving along its axis become unstable in order to model the Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability in a twisting solar coronal hole jet near the northern pole of the Sun. We employed the dispersion relations of MHD modes derived from the linearized MHD equations. We assumed real wavenumbers and complex angular wave frequencies, namely complex wave phse velocities. The dispersion relations were solved numerically at fixed input parameters (taken from observational data) and varying degrees of torsion of the internal magnetic field. It is shown that the stability of the modes depends upon five parameters: the density contrast between the flux tube and its environment, the ratio of the external and internal axial magnetic fields, the twist of the magnetic field lines inside the tube, the ratio of transverse and axial jet’s velocities, and the value of the Alfvén Mach number (the ratio of the tube axial velocity to Alfvén speed inside the flux tube). Using a twisting jet of 2010 August 21 by SDO/AIA and other observations of coronal jets we set the parameters of our theoretical model and have obtained that in a twisted magnetic flux tube of radius of $9.8$ Mm, at a density contrast of $0.474$ and fixed Alfvén Mach number of $?0.76$, for the three MHD modes there exist instability windows whose width crucially depends upon the internal magnetic field twist. It is found that for the considered modes an azimuthal magnetic field of $1.3$–$1.4$ G (computed at the tube boundary) makes the width of the instability windows equal to zero, that is, it suppress the KH instability onset. On the other hand, the times for developing KH instability of the $m=12$ MHD mode at instability wavelengths between 15 and 12 Mm turn out to be in the range of $1.9$–$4.7$ min that is in agreement with the growth rates estimated from the temporal evolution of the observed unstable jet’s blobs in their initial stage.     

Validation of space-born Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer remote sensors aerosol products using application of ground-based Multi-wavelength Radiometer

The measurements of aerosol optical properties were carried out during April 2006 to March 2011 over Mohal (31.9°N, 77.12°E) in the northwestern Indian Himalaya, using the application of ground-based Multi-wavelength Radiometer (MWR) and space-born Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) remote sensors. The average (±standard deviation) values of aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm, Ångström exponent and turbidity coefficient during the entire measurement period were 0.25 ± 0.09, 1.15 ± 0.42 and 0.12 ± 0.06 respectively. About 86% AOD values retrieved from MODIS remote sensor were found within an uncertainty limit (Δτ_pλ = ±0.05 ± 0.15τ_pλ). In general, the MWR derived AOD values were higher than that of MODIS retrieval with absolute difference ∼0.02. During the entire period of measurement space-born MODIS remote sensor and ground-based MWR observation showed good correspondence with significant correlation coefficient ∼0.78 and root mean square difference ∼0.06. For daily observations the relative difference between these two estimates stood less than 9%. However, satellite-based and ground-based observation showed good correspondence, but further efforts still needed to eliminate systematic errors in the existing MODIS algorithm.     

Analysis of carbonaceous biomarkers with the Mars Organic Analyzer microchip capillary electrophoresis system: carboxylic acids

The oxidizing surface chemistry on Mars argues that any comprehensive search for organic compounds indicative of life requires methods to analyze higher oxidation states of carbon with very low limits of detection. To address this goal, microchip capillary electrophoresis (μCE) methods were developed for analysis of carboxylic acids with the Mars Organic Analyzer (MOA). Fluorescent derivatization was achieved by activation with the water soluble 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) followed by reaction with Cascade Blue hydrazide in 30 mM borate, pH 3. A standard containing 12 carboxylic acids found in terrestrial life was successfully labeled and separated in 30 mM borate at pH 9.5, 20 °C by using the MOA CE system. Limits of detection were 5-10 nM for aliphatic monoacids, 20 nM for malic acid (diacid), and 230 nM for citric acid (triacid). Polyacid benzene derivatives containing 2, 3, 4, and 6 carboxyl groups were also analyzed. In particular, mellitic acid was successfully labeled and analyzed with a limit of detection of 300 nM (5 ppb). Analyses of carboxylic acids sampled from a lava tube cave and a hydrothermal area demonstrated the versatility and robustness of our method. This work establishes that the MOA can be used for sensitive analyses of a wide range of carboxylic acids in the search for extraterrestrial organic molecules.