arXiv subjects

Elias Gravanis

Publications and source records attributed to Elias Gravanis.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

Application of the ASBM-SA closure in a turbulent flow over a hump in the presence of separation control

We demonstrate the coupling between the Algebraic Structure-Based Model (ASBM) and the one-equation Spalart-Allmaras (SA) model, which provides an easy route to bringing structure information in engineering turbulence closures. The estimation ability of the hybrid model was tested for a flow over a hump model with no-flow control and steady suction. ASBM-SA model produced satisfactory predictions for the streamwise Reynolds stress component, while a qualitative agreement with the experiments was achieved for the transverse component. Regarding the shear stress component, ASBM-SA closure provides improved predictions compared to SA in the entire domain.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2020

An explicit algebraic closure for passive scalar-flux: Applications in heated channel flows subjected to system rotation

We present an algebraic model for turbulent scalar-flux vector that stems from tensor representation theory. The resulting closure contains direct dependence on mean velocity gradients and on frame rotation tensor that accounts for Coriolis effects. Model coefficients are determined from Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) data of homogeneous shear flows subjected to arbitrary mean scalar gradient orientations. This type of tuning process renders the proposed model to be objective towards inhomogeneous applications. Model performance is evaluated in several heated channel flows in both stationary and rotating frames, showing good results. To place the performance of the proposed model into context, we compare with Younis algebraic model, which is known to provide reasonable predictions for several engineering flows.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2017

Isotropic turbulence in compact space

Isotropic turbulence is typically studied numerically through the direct numerical simulations (DNS). The DNS flows are described by the Navier-Stokes equation in a 'box', defined through periodic boundary conditions. The DNS flows live in a compact space and they are not isotropic in their large scales. The investigation of important phenomena of isotropic turbulence, such as anomalous scaling, through the DNS is affected by large scale effects. In this work we put isotropic turbulence - or better, the associated formal theory - in a 'box', through imposing periodicity at the level of the correlations functions. We offer a framework where one may investigate isotropic theories/models through the data of DNS in a formally consistent manner. We work at the level of the Karman-Howarth equation. Unlike the Navier-Stokes equation, infinitely smooth periodicity is obstructed in this theory, a fact expressed by a sequence of relations obeyed by the normal modes of the Karman-Howarth equation. Similar relations are imparted to the two-point functions under the condition that the energy spectrum and energy transfer function are realizable. Naturally constructed closures scheme for the Karman-Howarth equation do not conform to such relations, thereby destroying realizability. A closure can be made to conform to a finite number of them by adding corrective terms, in a procedure which possesses certain analogies with the renormalization of quantum field theory. The spectrum becomes unphysical (through sign-changing oscillations) for infinitely large wavenumbers, but we can controllably extend the regime where the spectrum remains physical deep enough in the dissipation range so that to be realistically adequate. We show that one or two such 'regularity relations' are needed at most for comparisons of the predictions of the theory with the current resolution level results of the DNS.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2015

Generalized Batchelor functions of isotropic turbulence

We generalize Batchelor's parameterization of the autocorrelation functions of isotropic turbulence in a form involving a product expansion with multiple small scales. The richer small scale structure acquired this way, compared to the usual Batchelor function, is necessary so that the associated energy spectrum approximate well actual spectra in the universal equilibrium range. We propose that the generalized function provides an approximation of arbitrary accuracy for actual spectra of isotropic turbulence over the universal equilibrium range. The degree of accuracy depends on the number of higher moments which are determinable and it is reflected in the number of small scales involved. The energy spectrum of the generalized function is derived, and for the case of two small scales is compared with data from high-resolution direct numerical simulations. We show that the compensated spectra (which illustrate the bottleneck effect) and dissipation spectra are encapsulated excellently, in accordance with our proposal.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2010

Shock waves and Birkhoff's theorem in Lovelock gravity

Spherically symmetric shock waves are shown to exist in Lovelock gravity. They amount to a change of branch of the spherically symmetric solutions across a null hypersurface. The implications of their existence for the status of Birkhoff's theorem in the theory is discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2010

Conserved charges in (Lovelock) gravity in first order formalism

We derive conserved charges as quasi-local Hamiltonians by covariant phase space methods for a class of geometric Lagrangians that can be written in terms of the spin connection, the vielbein and possibly other tensorial form fields, allowing also for non-zero torsion. We then re-calculate certain known results and derive some new ones in three to six dimensions hopefully enlightening certain aspects of all of them. The quasi-local energy is defined in terms of the metric and not its first derivatives, requiring `regularization' for convergence in most cases. Counter-terms consistent with Dirichlet boundary conditions in first order formalism are shown to be an efficient way to remove divergencies and derive the values of conserved charges, the clear-cut application being metrics with AdS (or dS) asymptotics. The emerging scheme is: all is required to remove the divergencies of a Lovelock gravity is a boundary Lovelock gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2007

Intersecting hypersurfaces, topological densities and Lovelock Gravity

Intersecting hypersurfaces in classical Lovelock gravity are studied exploiting the description of the Lovelock Lagrangian as a sum of dimensionally continued Euler densities. We wish to present an interesting geometrical approach to the problem. The analysis allows us to deal most efficiently with the division of space-time into a honeycomb network of cells produced by an arbitrary arrangement of membranes of matter. We write the gravitational action as bulk terms plus integrals over each lower dimensional intersection. The spin connection is discontinuous at the shared boundaries of the cells, which are spaces of various dimensionalities. That means that at each intersection there are more than one spin connections. We introduce a multi-parameter family of connections which interpolate between the different connections at each intersection. The parameters live naturally on a simplex. We can then write the action including all the intersection terms in a simple way. The Lagrangian of Lovelock gravity is generalized so as to live on the simplices as well. Each intersection term of the action is then obtained as an integral over an appropriate simplex. Lovelock gravity and the associated topological (Euler) density are used as an example of a more general formulation. In this example one finds that singular sources up to a certain co-dimensionality naturally carry matter without introducing conical or other singularities in spacetime geometry.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2007

`Mass without mass' from thin shells in Gauss-Bonnet gravity

Five tensor equations are obtained for a thin shell in Gauss-Bonnet gravity. There is the well known junction condition for the singular part of the stress tensor intrinsic to the shell, which we also prove to be well defined. There are also equations relating the geometry of the shell (jump and average of the extrinsic curvature as well as the intrinsic curvature) to the non-singular components of the bulk stress tensor on the sides of the thin shell. The equations are applied to spherically symmetric thin shells in vacuum. The shells are part of the vacuum, they carry no energy tensor. We classify these solutions of `thin shells of nothingness' in the pure Gauss-Bonnet theory. There are three types of solutions, with one, zero or two asymptotic regions respectively. The third kind of solution are wormholes. Although vacuum solutions, they have the appearance of mass in the asymptotic regions. It is striking that in this theory, exotic matter is not needed in order for wormholes to exist- they can exist even with no matter.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2006

Intersecting hypersurfaces in AdS and Lovelock gravity

Colliding and intersecting hypersurfaces filled with matter (membranes) are studied in the Lovelock higher order curvature theory of gravity. Lovelock terms couple hypersurfaces of different dimensionalities, extending the range of possible intersection configurations. We restrict the study to constant curvature membranes in constant curvature AdS and dS background and consider their general intersections. This illustrates some key features which make the theory different to the Einstein gravity. Higher co-dimension membranes may lie at the intersection of co-dimension 1 hypersurfaces in Lovelock gravity; the hypersurfaces are located at the discontinuities of the first derivative of the metric, and they need not carry matter. The example of colliding membranes shows that general solutions can only be supported by (spacelike) matter at the collision surface, thus naturally conflicting with the dominant energy condition (DEC). The imposition of the DEC gives selection rules on the types of collision allowed. When the hypersurfaces don't carry matter, one gets a soliton-like configuration. Then, at the intersection one has a co-dimension 2 or higher membrane standing alone in AdS-vacuum spacetime \emph{without conical singularities.} Another result is that if the number of intersecting hypersurfaces goes to infinity the limiting spacetime is free of curvature singularities if the intersection is put at the boundary of each AdS bulk.

hep-th↗

arXiv2004

Intersecting hyper-surfaces in dimensionally continued topological density gravitation

We consider intersecting hypersurfaces in curved spacetime with gravity governed by a class of actions which are topological invariants in lower dimensionality. Along with the Chern-Simons boundary terms there is a sequence of intersection terms that should be added in the action functional for a well defined variational principle. We construct them in the case of Characteristic Classes, obtaining relations which have a general topological meaning. Applying them on a manifold with a discontinuous connection 1-form we obtain the gravity action functional of the system and show that the junction conditions can be found in a simple algebraic way. At the sequence of intersections there are localised independent energy tensors, constrained only by energy conservation. We work out explicitly the simplest non trivial case.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

Israel conditions for the Gauss-Bonnet theory and the Friedmann equation on the brane universe

Assuming an Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory of gravitation in a ($D \geq 5$)-dimensional spacetime with boundary, we consider the problem of the boundary dynamics given the matter Lagrangian on it. The resulting equation is applied in particular on the derivation of the Friedmann eq. of a 3-brane, understood as the non-orientable boundary of a 5d spacetime. We briefly discuss the contradictory conclusions of the literature.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Vacuum Energy and Cosmological Supersymmetry Breaking in Brane Worlds

In the context of a toy model we discuss the phenomenon of colliding five-branes, with two of the extra space dimensions compactified on tori. In one of the branes (hidden world) the torus is magnetised. Assuming opposite-tension branes, we argue that the collision results eventually in a (time-dependent) cosmological vacuum energy, whose value today is tiny, lying comfortably within the standard bounds by setting the breaking of the four-dimensional supersymmetry at a TeV scale. The small value of the vacuum energy as compared with the supersymmetry-breaking scale is attributed to transient phenomena with relaxation times of order of the Age of the Universe. An interesting feature of the approach is the absence of a cosmic horizon, thereby allowing for a proper definition of an S-matrix.As a result of the string non-criticality induced at the collision,our model does not provide an alternative to inflation, given that arguments can be given supporting the occurence of an inflationary phase early after the collision. The physics before the collision is not relevant to our arguments on the cosmological constant hierarchy, which are valid for asymptotically long times after it.

hep-th↗

arXiv2001

Putting Liouville String Models of (Quantum) Gravity to Test

Critical String Theory is by definition an $S$-matrix theory. In this sense, (quantum) gravity situations where a unitary $S$-matrix may not be a well-defined concept, as a consequence of the existence of macroscopic (global) or microscopic (local) gravitational fluctuations with event horizons, present a challenge to string theory. In this article, we take some modest steps in suggesting alternative treatments of such cases via non-critical (Liouville) strings,which do not have a well-defined S matrix, but for which a superscattering \$ matrix is mathematically consistent. After a brief review of the underlying mathematical formalism, we consider a specific stringy model of induced non-criticality, with dynamical formation of horizons, associated with the recoil of a D-particle defect, embedded in our four-dimensional space time, during its scattering with a (macroscopic) number of closed string states. We study in detail the associated spacetime distortion in the neighbourhood of the defect, which has the form of a finite-radius curved `bubble', matched with a Minkowskian space-time in the exterior. As a consequence of the non-criticality of the underlying sigma-model, the space time is unstable, and has non-trivial stochastic properties: thermal properties due to its ``Rindler accelerating nature'', and entropy growth for an asymptotic observer, associated with information being carried away by the `recoil' degrees of freedom. We also discuss phenomenological (and cosmological) constraints on the model.

hep-th↗

arXiv2001

Impulse Action on D-particles in Robertson-Walker Space Times, Higher-Order Logarithmic Conformal Algebras and Cosmological Horizons

We demonstrate that an impulse action (`recoil') on a D-particle embedded in a (four-dimensional) cosmological Robertson-Walker (RW) spacetime is described, in a $σ$-model framework, by a suitably extended higher-order logarithmic world-sheet algebra of relevant deformations. We study in some detail the algebra of the appropriate two-point correlators, and give a careful discussion as to how one can approach the world-sheet renormalization group infrared fixed point, in the neighborhood of which the logarithmic algebra is valid. It is found that, if the initial RW spacetime does not have cosmological horizons, then there is no problem in approaching the fixed point. However, in the presence of horizons, there are world-sheet divergences which imply the need for Liouville dressing in order to approach the fixed point in the correct way. A detailed analysis on the subtle subtraction of these divergences in the latter case is given. In both cases, at the fixed point, the recoil-induced spacetime is nothing other than a coordinate transformation of the initial spacetime into the rest frame of the recoiling D-particle. However, in the horizon case, if one identifies the Liouville mode with the target time, which expresses physically the back reaction of the recoiling D-particle onto the spacetime structure, it is found that the induced spacetime distortion results in the removal of the initial cosmological horizon and the eventual stopping of the acceleration of the Universe. In this latter sense, our model may be thought of as a conformal field theory description of a (toy) Universe characterized by a sort of `phase transition' at the moment of impulse, implying a time-varying speed of light.

hep-th↗

arXiv2001

A proposal on the possibility of detecting D-particles

In a previous study we showed that D0-branes (particles) can operate as sources of very-high-energy radiation, as a result of an unstable spacetime distortion that follows a D0-particle/closed string state scattering. The effect can happen only if the energy of the incident particle/closed string state exceeds a certain threshold, which is of order of the subsequently radiated energy. In this letter we speculate on the possibility of detection of the D-particles due to this phenomenon. The energies of the emitted radiation range in a narrow window of size less than one order of magnitude. Observation-wise, this radiation will appear as an excess of photons in a narrow band in the spectrum of high energy cosmic rays. From their energy we can then read off the value of the product of the string mass scale times the string coupling. We speculate on the possibility that high energy neutrinos from GRB's play the rôle of the necessary high energy flux that triggers the effect, by striking D-particles lying inside the mean free path of the photons as measured from Earth. The possibilty of this effect operating as a mechanism of GZK cutoff violation is also pointed out.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2001

A study of spacetime distortion around a scattered recoiling D-particle and possible astrophysical consequences

We study a four-dimensional spacetime induced by the recoil of a D(irichlet)-particle, embeded in it, due to scattering by a moving string. The induced spacetime has curvature only up to a radius that depends on the energy of the incident string. Outside that region (`bubble') the spacetime is matched with the Minkowski spacetime. The interior of the bubble is consistent with the effective field theory obtained from strings, with non-trivial tachyon-like and antisymmetric tensor fields (in four dimensions the latter gives rise to an axion pseudoscalar field). The tachyonic mode, however, does not represent the standard flat-spacetime string tachyon, but merely expresses the instability of the distorted spacetime. Due to the non-trivial matter content of the interior of the bubble, there is entropy production, which expresses the fact that information is carried away by the recoil degrees of freedom. We also demonstrate that a particle can be captured by the bubble, depending on the particle's impact parameter. This will result in information loss for an external asymptotic observer, corresponding to production of entropy propotional to the area of the bubble. For the validity of our approach it is essential that the string length is a few orders of magnitude larger than the Planck length, which is a typical situation encountered in many D-brane-world models. A very interesting feature of our model is the emission of high-energy photons from the unstable bubble, which might be related to the observed apparent ``violations'' of the GZK cutoff.

hep-th↗