arXiv subjects

Brad Marston

Publications and source records attributed to Brad Marston.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Ordering of timescales predicts applicability of quasi-linear theory in unstable flows

We discuss the applicability of quasilinear-type approximations for a turbulent system with a large range of spatial and temporal scales. We consider a paradigm fluid system of rotating convection with a vertical and horizontal temperature gradients. In particular, the interaction of rotating with the horizontal temperature gradient drives a ``thermal wind'' shear flow whose strength is controlled by a horizontal temperature gradient. Varying the parameters systematically alters the ordering of the shearing timescale, the convective timescale, and the correlation timescale. We demonstrate that quasilinear-type approximations work well when the shearing timescale or the correlation timescale is sufficiently short. In all cases, the Generalised Quasilinear approximation (GQL) systematically outperforms the Quasilinear approximation (QL). We discuss the consequences for statistical theories of turbulence interacting with mean gradients. We conclude with comments about the general applicability of these ideas across a wide variety of non-linear physical systems.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2017

Direct Statistical Simulation of Jets and Vortices in 2D Flows

In this paper we perform Direct Statistical Simulations of a model of two-dimensional flow that exhibits a transition from jets to vortices. The model employs two-scale Kolmogorov forcing, with energy injected directly into the zonal mean of the flow. We compare these results with those from Direct Numerical Simulations. For square domains the solution takes the form of jets, but as the aspect ratio is increased a transition to isolated coherent vortices is found. We find that a truncation at second order in the equal-time but nonlocal cumulants that employs zonal averaging (zonal CE2) is capable of capturing the form of the jets for a range of Reynolds numbers as well as the transition to the vortex state, but, unsurprisingly, is unable to reproduce the correlations found for the fully nonlinear (non-zonally symmetric) vortex state. This result continues the program of promising advances in statistical theories of turbulence championed by Kraichnan.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2016

Three-Dimensional Rotating Couette Flow Via The Generalised Quasilinear Approximation

We examine the effectiveness of the Generalised Quasilinear (GQL) Approximation introduced by Marston et al (2016). This approximation splits the variables into large and small scales in directions where there is a translational symmetry and removes nonlinear interactions involving only small scales. We utilise as a paradigm problem three-dimensional, turbulent, rotating Couette flow. We compare the results obtained from Direct Numerical Solution of the equations with those from Quasilinear (QL) and GQL calculations. In this three-dimensional setting, there is a choice of cut-off wavenumber for the GQL approximation both in the streamwise and in the spanwise directions. We demonstrate that the GQL approximation significantly improves the accuracy of mean flows, spectra and two-point correlation functions over models that are quasilinear in any of the translationally invariant directions, even if only a few streamwise and spanwise modes are included. We argue that this provides significant support for a programme of Direct Statistical Simulation utilising the GQL approximation.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2016

Generalised quasi-linear approximation of the HMRI

Motivated by recent advances in Direct Statistical Simulation (DSS) of astrophysical phenomena such as out of equilibrium jets, we perform a Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of the helical magnetorotational instability (HMRI) under the generalised quasilinear approximation (GQL). This approximation generalises the quasilinear approximation (QL) to include the self-consistent interaction of large-scale modes, interpolating between fully nonlinear DNS and QL DNS whilst still remaining formally linear in the small scales. In this paper we address whether GQL can more accurately describe low-order statistics of axisymmetric HMRI when compared with QL by performing DNS under various degrees of GQL approximation. We utilise various diagnostics, such as energy spectra in addition to first and second cumulants, for calculations performed for a range of Reynolds and Hartmann numbers (describing rotation and imposed magnetic field strength respectively). We find that GQL performs significantly better than QL in describing the statistics of the HMRI even when relatively few large-scale modes are kept in the formalism. We conclude that DSS based on GQL (GCE2) will be significantly more accurate than that based on QL (CE2).

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2013

Direct Statistical Simulation of Out-of-Equilibrium Jets

We present a Direct Statistical Simulation (DSS) of jet formation on a β-plane, solving for the statistics of a fluid flow via an expansion in cumulants. Here we compare an expansion truncated at second order (CE2) to statistics accumulated by direct numerical simulations (DNS). We show that, for jets near equilibrium, CE2 is capable of reproducing the jet structure (although some differences remain in the second cumulant). However as the degree of departure from equilibrium is increased (as measured by the zonostrophy parameter) the jets meander more and CE2 becomes less accurate. We discuss a possible remedy by inclusion of higher cumulants.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv1999

Enlarged Symmetry and Coherence in Arrays of Quantum Dots

Enlarged symmetry characterized by the group SU(4) can be realized in isolated semiconducting quantum dots. A Hubbard model then describes a pillar array of coupled dots and at half-filling the system can be mapped onto an SU(4) spin chain. The physics of these new structures is rich as novel phases are attainable. The spins spontaneously dimerize and, by using the Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG), we show that the dimer state is robust to perturbations which break SU(4) symmetry. We propose ways to experimentally verify the existence of the dimerized phase.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗