Browsing by Author "Umurhan, O. M."

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Open Access
Linear and nonlinear stability of a quasigeostrophic mixing layer subject to a uniform background shear
(American Physical Society, 2019) Biancofiore, Luca; Umurhan, O. M.
The aim of this work is to shed light by revisiting, from the kernel-wave (KW) perspective, the breakdown of a quasigeostrophic (QG) mixing layer (or vortex strip or filament) in atmosphere under the influence of a background shear. The QG mixing layer is modeled with a family of quasi-Rayleigh velocity profiles in which the potential vorticity (PV) is constant in patches. From the KW perspective, a counterpropagating Rossby wave (CRW) is created at each PV edge, i.e., the edge where a PV jump is located. The important parameters of our study are (i) the vorticity of the uniform shear m and (ii) the Rossby deformation radius Ld, which indicates how far the pressure perturbations can vertically propagate. While an adverse shear (m<0) stabilizes the system, a favorable shear (m>0) strengthens the instability. This is due to how the background shear affects the two uncoupled CRWs by shifting the optimal phase difference towards large (small) wave number when m<0 (m>0). As a finite Ld is introduced, a general weakening of the instability is noticed, particularly for m>0. This is mainly due to the reduced interaction between the two CRWs when Ld is finite. Furthermore, nonlinear pseudospectral simulations in the nominally infinite-Reynolds-number limit were conducted using as the initial base flow the same quasi-Rayleigh profiles analyzed in the linear analysis. The growth of the mixing layer is obstructed by introducing a background shear, especially if adverse, since the vortex pairing, which is the main growth mechanism in mixing layers, is strongly hindered. Interestingly, the most energetic configuration is for m=0, which differs from the linear analyses for which the largest growth rates were found for a positive m. In the absence of a background shear additional modes are subharmonically triggered by the initial disturbance enhancing the turbulent character of the flow. We also confirm energy spectrum trends for broken-down mixing layers reported in the literature. We interpret the character of mixing-layer breakdown as being a phenomenological hybrid of Kraichnan's [R. H. Kraichnan, Phys. Fluids 10, 1417 (1967)] direct enstrophy cascade picture and the picture of self-similar vortex production.
Open Access
Rossby waves in astrophysics
(Springer, 2021-01-19) Zaqarashvili, T. V.; Albekioni, M.; Ballester, J. L.; Bekki, Y.; Biancofiore, Luca; Birch, A. C.; Dikpati, M.; Gizon, L.; Gurgenashvili, E.; Heifetz, E.; Lanza, A. F.; McIntosh, S. W.; Ofman, L.; Oliver, R.; Proxauf, B.; Umurhan, O. M.; Yellin-Bergovoy, R.
Rossby waves are a pervasive feature of the large-scale motions of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. These waves (also known as planetary waves and r-modes) also play an important role in the large-scale dynamics of different astrophysical objects such as the solar atmosphere and interior, astrophysical discs, rapidly rotating stars, planetary and exoplanetary atmospheres. This paper provides a review of theoretical and observational aspects of Rossby waves on different spatial and temporal scales in various astrophysical settings. The physical role played by Rossby-type waves and associated instabilities is discussed in the context of solar and stellar magnetic activity, angular momentum transport in astrophysical discs, planet formation, and other astrophysical processes. Possible directions of future research in theoretical and observational aspects of astrophysical Rossby waves are outlined.