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Solution of Howells’ model of the scalar spectrum and comparison with experiment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 April 2006

R. J. Hill
R. J. Hill*
Affiliation:
Wave Propagation Laboratory, Environmental Research Laboratories, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, Colorado 80302
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Abstract

Howells’ model of the scalar spectrum for isotropic turbulent flow is simplified using a restriction to large Péclet number and statistically stationary turbulence at high wavenumbers, and is generalized by introducing Batchelor's constant as a free parameter. The resulting model is compared with data from the atmospheric surface layer, ocean, and liquid mercury. It is found that Howells’ model, which is applicable for arbitrary Prandtl number (Pr), does not compare well with data for large and intermediate Pr at wavenumbers higher than those in the inertial-convective range. The model implies that the inertial-diffusive range asymptotic form, , cannot appear even for Pr as small as that of mercury (Pr = 0·018).

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 96 , Issue 4 , 27 February 1980 , pp. 705 - 722
Copyright
Copyright © 1980 Cambridge University Press

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