Shown are 3D volumetric animations of vorticity structures illustrated with lambda_2 and dissipation fields Epsilon and Xi.
Gravity wave parameters are
a = u'/c = 1.1 or 0.9, omega = N/3.2, Re = 10,000
(Publications list at bottom)
Movies for GW amplitude a = 1.1:
lambda_2 side view (descending GW phase)
lambda_2 side view (fixed GW phase)
lambda_2 bottom view
dissipation side view (fixed GW phase)
dissipation bottom view
Movies for GW amplitude a = 0.9:
lambda_2 side view (descending GW phase)
lambda_2 side view (fixed GW phase)
lambda_2 bottom view
Recent gravity wave instability publications include the following:
Fritts,
D. C., C. Bizon, J. A. Werne, and C.
K. Meyer, 2003: Layering accompanying turbulence
generation due to shear
instability and gravity wave breaking, J. Geophys. Res., 108, D8, 8452, doi:10.1029/2002JD002406.
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Text.PDF, Figures
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Fritts, D. C., S. L.
Vadas, K. Wan, and J. A.
Werne, 2006: Mean and variable
forcing of the middle atmosphereby
gravity waves, J.
Atmos. Solar-Terres. Phys., 68,
247-265.
******* Paper.pdf
*******
Fritts, D. C., L. Wang, J. Werne, T. Lund, and K. Wan, 2009: Gravity wave instability dynamics at high Reynolds numbers, 2: Turbulence evolution, structure, and anisotropy, J. Atmos. Sci., 66, 1149-1171, doi:10.1175/2008JAS2727.1. ******* Paper.pdf *******
Earlier publications addressing GW breaking dynamics:
Fritts, D. C., J. R. Isler, G. E. Thomas, and O. Andreassen, 1993: Wave breaking signatures in noctilucent clouds , Geophys. Res. Lett. , 20, 2039-2042.
Andreassen, O., C.-E. Wasberg, D. C. Fritts, and J. R. Isler, 1994: Gravity wave breaking in two and three dimensions, 1. Model description and comparison of two-dimensional evolutions, Geophys. Res., 99, 8095-8108.
Fritts, D. C., J. R. Isler, and O. Andreassen, 1994: Gravity wave breaking in two and three dimensions, 2. Three-dimensional evolution and instability structure, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 8109-8123.
Isler, J. R., D. C. Fritts, and O. Andreassen, 1994: Gravity wave breaking in two and three dimensions, 3. Vortex breakdown and transition to turbulence, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 8125-8137.
Fritts, D. C., J. R. Isler, J. H. Hecht, R. L. Walterscheid, and O. Andreassen, 1997: Wave breaking signatures in OH airglow and sodium densities and temperatures, Part II: Simulation of wave and instability processes, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 6669-6684.
Arendt, S., D. C. Fritts, and O. Andreassen, 1997: The initial value problem for Kelvin vortex waves, J. Fluid Mech., 344, 181-212.
Andreassen, O., P. O. Hvidsten, D. C. Fritts, and S. Arendt, 1998: Vorticity dynamics in a breaking gravity wave, 1. Initial instability evolution, J. Fluid Mech, 367, 27-46.
Fritts, D. C., S. Arendt, and O. Andreassen, 1998: Vorticity dynamics in a breaking internal gravity wave, 2. Vortex interactions and transition to turbulence, J. Fluid Mech., 367, 47-65.
Arendt, S., and D. C. Fritts, 1998: The instability of a vortex tube in a weak external shear and strain, Phys. Fluids, 10, 530-532.
Arendt, S., D. C. Fritts, and O. Andreassen, 1998: Kelvin twist waves in the transition to turbulence, Euro. J. Mech. B/Fluids, 17, 595-604.
Fritts, D. C., S. Arendt, and O. Andreassen, 1999: The vorticity dynamics of instability and turbulence in a breaking internal gravity wave, Earth Planets Space, 51, 457-473.
Acknowledgments: Recent research described on this page was performed with support from several NSF grants and NASA, AFOSR, and MDA contracts, including AFOSR contracts F49620-03-C-0045 and FA9550-06-C-0129, NASA contracts NAS5-02036 and NAS5-02069, NSF grants ATM-0314060 and ATM-0435789, and MDA contract HQ0006-06-C-7328.