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Asymptotic ultimate regime of homogeneous Rayleigh–Bénard convection on logarithmic lattices
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 April 2023
Abstract
We investigate how the heat flux $Nu$ scales with the imposed temperature gradient
$Ra$ in homogeneous Rayleigh–Bénard convection using one-, two- and three-dimensional simulations on logarithmic lattices. Logarithmic lattices are a new spectral decimation framework which enables us to span an unprecedented range of parameters (
$Ra$,
$Re$,
$\Pr$) and test existing theories using little computational power. We first show that known diverging solutions can be suppressed with a large-scale friction. In the turbulent regime, for
$\Pr \approx 1$, the heat flux becomes independent of viscous processes (‘asymptotic ultimate regime’,
$Nu\sim Ra ^{1/2}$ with no logarithmic correction). We recover scalings coherent with the theory developed by Grossmann and Lohse, for all situations where the large-scale frictions keep a constant magnitude with respect to viscous and diffusive dissipation. We also identify another turbulent friction-dominated regime at
$\Pr \ll 1$, where deviations from the Grossmann and Lohse prediction are observed. These two friction-dominated regimes may be relevant in some geophysical or astrophysical situations, where large-scale friction arises due to rotation, stratification or magnetic field.
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- © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press
References
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