Published January 1995 | Version v1
Journal article

Improved low-order model for shear flow driven by Rayleigh-Benard convection

  • 1. Department of Mathematics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-3511 (United States)
  • 2. Institute for Plasma Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-3511 (United States)

Description

An analysis of the low-order model for two-dimensional fluid flow with shear proposed by Drake et al. [Phys. Fluids B 4, 488 (1992)] is undertaken. Their two-term model for the shear is an extension of the model put forth by Howard and Krisnamurti [J. Fluid Mech. 170, 385 (1986)], and is shown to be an improved model in the sense that it respects certain conditions for vorticity conservation arising directly from the Boussinesq equations. In so doing, it provides a more realistic model of the physics involved. An important consequence of the improved model is the appearance of cutoff values for the shear instability that are dependent upon the aspect ratio of the interacting Rayleigh-Taylor cell. Numerical results are presented as confirmation of this prediction

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics
Journal Volume
51
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
p. 325-331.
ISSN
1063-651X
CODEN
PLEEE8

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
United States
INIS RN
26034815
Subject category
S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
ASPECT RATIO; CONVECTIVE INSTABILITIES; FLUID FLOW; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; PRANDTL NUMBER; SHEAR; TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; VORTICES
Descriptors DEC
INSTABILITY; PLASMA INSTABILITY