Compressibility effects in turbulent transport of the temperature field.

Compressibility effects in a turbulent transport of temperature field are investigated by applying the quasilinear approach for small Péclet numbers and the spectral τ approach for large Péclet numbers. The compressibility of a fluid flow reduces the turbulent diffusivity of the mean temperature field similarly to that for the particle number density and magnetic field. However, expressions for the turbulent diffusion coefficient for the mean temperature field in a compressible turbulence are different from those for the mean particle number density and the mean magnetic field. The combined effect of compressibility and inhomogeneity of turbulence causes an increase of the mean temperature in the regions with more intense velocity fluctuations due to a turbulent pumping. Formally, this effect is similar to a phenomenon of compressible turbophoresis found previously [J. Plasma Phys. 84, 735840502 (2018)JPLPBZ0022-377810.1017/S0022377818000983] for noninertial particles or gaseous admixtures. The gradient of the mean fluid pressure results in an additional turbulent pumping of the mean temperature field. The latter effect is similar to the turbulent barodiffusion of particles and gaseous admixtures. The compressibility of a fluid flow also causes a turbulent cooling of the surrounding fluid due to an additional sink term in the equation for the mean temperature field. There is no analog of this effect for particles.

Internal gravity waves in the energy and flux budget turbulence-closure theory for shear-free stably stratified flows.

We have advanced the energy and flux budget turbulence closure theory that takes into account a two-way coupling between internal gravity waves (IGWs) and the shear-free stably stratified turbulence. This theory is based on the budget equation for the total (kinetic plus potential) energy of IGWs, the budget equations for the kinetic and potential energies of fluid turbulence, and turbulent fluxes of potential temperature for waves and fluid flow. The waves emitted at a certain level propagate upward, and the losses of wave energy cause the production of turbulence energy. We demonstrate that due to the nonlinear effects more intensive waves produce more strong turbulence, and this, in turn, results in strong damping of IGWs. As a result, the penetration length of more intensive waves is shorter than that of less intensive IGWs. The anisotropy of the turbulence produced by less intensive IGWs is stronger than that caused by more intensive waves. The low-amplitude IGWs produce turbulence consisting up to 90% of turbulent potential energy. This resembles the properties of the observed high-altitude tropospheric strongly anisotropic (nearly two-dimensional) turbulence.

Three-dimensional slow Rossby waves in rotating spherical density-stratified convection.

We develop a theory of three-dimensional slow Rossby waves in rotating spherical density stratified convection. The Rossby waves, with frequencies which are much smaller than the rotating frequency, are excited by a nonaxisymmetric instability from the equilibrium based on the developed convection. These waves interact with the inertial waves and the density stratified convection. The density stratification is taken into account using the anelastic approximation for very low-Mach-number flows. We study long-term planetary Rossby waves with periods which are larger than two years. We suggest that these waves are related to the southern oscillation and El Niño. The El Niño is an irregularly periodical variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific ocean, while the southern oscillation is an oscillation in surface air pressure between the tropical eastern and the western Pacific ocean. The strength of the southern oscillation is characterized by the southern oscillation index (SOI). The developed theory is applied for the interpretation of the observed periods of the SOI. This study demonstrates a good agreement between the theoretical predictions and the observations.

Turbulent diffusion of chemically reacting flows: Theory and numerical simulations.

The theory of turbulent diffusion of chemically reacting gaseous admixtures developed previously [T. Elperin et al., Phys. Rev. E 90, 053001 (2014)PLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.90.053001] is generalized for large yet finite Reynolds numbers and the dependence of turbulent diffusion coefficient on two parameters, the Reynolds number and Damköhler number (which characterizes a ratio of turbulent and reaction time scales), is obtained. Three-dimensional direct numerical simulations (DNSs) of a finite-thickness reaction wave for the first-order chemical reactions propagating in forced, homogeneous, isotropic, and incompressible turbulence are performed to validate the theoretically predicted effect of chemical reactions on turbulent diffusion. It is shown that the obtained DNS results are in good agreement with the developed theory.

Acceleration of raindrop formation due to the tangling-clustering instability in a turbulent stratified atmosphere.

Condensation of water vapor on active cloud condensation nuclei produces micron-size water droplets. To form rain, they must grow rapidly into at least 50- to 100-µm droplets. Observations show that this process takes only 15-20 min. The unexplained physical mechanism of such fast growth is crucial for understanding and modeling of rain and known as "condensation-coalescence bottleneck in rain formation." We show that the recently discovered phenomenon of the tangling clustering instability of small droplets in temperature-stratified turbulence [Phys. Fluids 25, 085104 (2013)] results in the formation of droplet clusters with drastically increased droplet number densities. The mechanism of the tangling clustering instability is much more effective than the previously considered by us the inertial clustering instability caused by the centrifugal effect of turbulent vortices. This is the reason of strong enhancement of the collision-coalescence rate inside the clusters. The mean-field theory of the droplet growth developed in this study can be useful for explanation of the observed fast growth of cloud droplets in warm clouds from the initial 1-µm-size droplets to 40- to 50-µm-size droplets within 15-20 min.

Turbulent diffusion of chemically reacting gaseous admixtures.

We study turbulent diffusion of chemically reacting gaseous admixtures in a developed turbulence. In our previous study [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 69 (1998)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.80.69] using a path-integral approach for a delta-correlated in a time random velocity field, we demonstrated a strong modification of turbulent transport in fluid flows with chemical reactions or phase transitions. In the present study we use the spectral τ approximation that is valid for large Reynolds and Peclet numbers and show that turbulent diffusion of the reacting species can be strongly depleted by a large factor that is the ratio of turbulent and chemical times (turbulent Damköhler number). We have demonstrated that the derived theoretical dependence of a turbulent diffusion coefficient versus the turbulent Damköhler number is in good agreement with that obtained previously in the numerical modeling of a reactive front propagating in a turbulent flow and described by the Kolmogorov-Petrovskii-Piskunov-Fisher equation. We have found that turbulent cross-effects, e.g., turbulent mutual diffusion of gaseous admixtures and turbulent Dufour effect of the chemically reacting gaseous admixtures, are less sensitive to the values of stoichiometric coefficients. The mechanisms of the turbulent cross-effects differ from the molecular cross-effects known in irreversible thermodynamics. In a fully developed turbulence and at large Peclet numbers the turbulent cross-effects are much larger than the molecular ones. The obtained results are applicable also to heterogeneous phase transitions.

Transition phenomena in unstably stratified turbulent flows.

We study experimentally and theoretically the transition phenomena caused by external forcing from Rayleigh-Bénard convection with large-scale circulation (LSC) to the limiting regime of unstably stratified turbulent flow without LSC, where the temperature field behaves like a passive scalar. In the experiments we use the Rayleigh-Bénard apparatus with an additional source of turbulence produced by two oscillating grids located near the sidewalls of the chamber. When the frequency of the grid oscillations is larger than 2 Hz, the LSC in turbulent convection is destroyed, and the destruction of the LSC is accompanied by a strong change of the mean temperature distribution. However, in all regimes of the unstably stratified turbulent flow the ratio [(ℓ{x}∇{x}T)²+(ℓ{y}∇{y}T)² + (ℓ{z}∇{z}T)²]/<θ²> varies slightly (even in the range of parameters where the behavior of the temperature field is different from that of the passive scalar). Here ℓ{i} are the integral scales of turbulence along the x,y,z directions, and T and θ are the mean and fluctuating parts of the fluid temperature. At all frequencies of the grid oscillations we have detected long-term nonlinear oscillations of the mean temperature. The theoretical predictions based on the budget equations for turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent temperature fluctuations, and turbulent heat flux, are in agreement with the experimental results.

Tangling clustering of inertial particles in stably stratified turbulence.

We have predicted theoretically and detected in laboratory experiments a tangling clustering of inertial particles in a stably stratified turbulence with imposed mean vertical temperature gradient. In the stratified turbulence a spatial distribution of the mean particle number density is nonuniform due to the phenomenon of turbulent thermal diffusion, i.e., the inertial particles are accumulated in the vicinity of the minimum of the mean temperature of the surrounding fluid, and a nonzero gradient of the mean particle number density, ∇N , is formed. It causes generation of fluctuations of the particle number density by tangling of the large-scale gradient ∇N by velocity fluctuations. In addition, the mean temperature gradient ∇T produces the temperature fluctuations by tangling of the large-scale gradient ∇T by velocity fluctuations. The anisotropic temperature fluctuations contribute to the two-point correlation function of the divergence of the particle velocity field, i.e., they increase the rate of formation of the particle clusters in small scales. We have demonstrated that in the laboratory stratified turbulence this tangling clustering is much more effective than a pure inertial clustering (preferential concentration) that has been observed in isothermal turbulence. In particular, in our experiments in oscillating grid isothermal turbulence in air without imposed mean temperature gradient, the inertial clustering is very weak for solid particles with the diameter of ≈10 µm and Reynolds numbers based on turbulent length scale and rms velocity, Re=250 . In the experiments the correlation function for the inertial clustering in isothermal turbulence is much smaller than that for the tangling clustering in nonisothermal turbulence. The size of the tangling clusters is on the order of several Kolmogorov length scales. The clustering described in our study is found for inertial particles with small Stokes numbers and with the material density that is much larger than the fluid density. Our theoretical predictions are in a good agreement with the obtained experimental results.

Effect of large-scale coherent structures on turbulent convection.

We study an effect of large-scale coherent structures on global properties of turbulent convection in laboratory experiments in air flow in a rectangular chamber with aspect ratios A approximately 2 and A approximately 4 (with the Rayleigh numbers varying in the range from 5x10;{6} to 10;{8} ). The large-scale coherent structures comprise the one-cell and two-cell flow patterns. We found that a main contribution to the turbulence kinetic-energy production in turbulent convection with large-scale coherent structures is due to the nonuniform large-scale motions. Turbulence in large Rayleigh number convection with coherent structures is produced by shear rather than by buoyancy. We determined the scalings of global parameters (e.g., the production and dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy, the turbulent velocity and integral turbulent scale, the large-scale shear, etc.) of turbulent convection versus the temperature difference between the bottom and the top walls of the chamber. These scalings are in an agreement with our theoretical predictions. We demonstrated that the degree of inhomogeneity of the turbulent convection with large-scale coherent structures is small.

[Role of oubain in regulation of growth of different tissues].

Using the method of organotypical cell culture, experimental data was obtained supporting the hypothesis that chelate complex ouabain-Ca2+ modulates the transducer function of Na+, K+- ATPase. Quantum-chemical calculations helped to elucidate two principally distinct modes for chelation of Ca2+ ions by ouabain molecule. It is predicted that ligang-receptor complex of ouabain-Ca2+--Na+,K+-ATPase is formed due to ion-ionic bonds. The forming of this complex switches on the transducer function of the sodium pump. Our data also show that removal of free Ca2+ ions from the cell culture media using EGTA has no effect on binding of ouabain with pumping control site of Na+K+-ATPase.

Mixing at the external boundary of a submerged turbulent jet.

We study experimentally and theoretically mixing at the external boundary of a submerged turbulent jet. In the experimental study we use particle image velocimetry and an image processing technique based on the analysis of the intensity of the Mie scattering to determine the spatial distribution of tracer particles. An air jet is seeded with the incense smoke particles, which are characterized by a large Schmidt number and a small Stokes number. We determine the spatial distributions of the jet fluid characterized by a high concentration of the particles and of the ambient fluid characterized by a low concentration of the tracer particles. In the data analysis we use two approaches, whereby one approach is based on the measured phase function for the study of the mixed state of two fluids. The other approach is based on the analysis of the two-point second-order correlation function of the particle number density fluctuations generated by tangling of the gradient of the mean particle number density by the turbulent velocity field. This gradient is formed at the external boundary of a submerged turbulent jet. We demonstrate that probability density function of the phase function of a jet fluid penetrating into an external flow and the two-point second-order correlation function of the particle number density do not have universal scaling and cannot be described by a power-law function. The theoretical predictions made in this study are in qualitative agreement with the obtained experimental results.

Generation of magnetic field by combined action of turbulence and shear.

The feasibility of a mean-field dynamo in nonhelical turbulence with a superimposed linear shear is studied numerically in elongated shearing boxes. Exponential growth of the magnetic field at scales much larger than the outer scale of the turbulence is found. The characteristic scale of the field is lB proportional S(-1/2) and the growth rate is gamma proportional S, where S is the shearing rate. This newly discovered shear dynamo effect potentially represents a very generic mechanism for generating large-scale magnetic fields in a broad class of astrophysical systems with spatially coherent mean flows.

A possible molecular mechanism for the interaction of defensin with the sensory neuron membrane.

A local membrane potential clamping method was used to study the effects of defensin NP-1 on the membranes of rat spinal ganglion neurons. NP-1 led to decreases in the effective charge for the activation gating system. This process depended on the NP-1 concentration. Use of the Hill equation showed that Kd was 2.10(-12) M and the Hill coefficient was 0.9. The structure of the defensin molecule was optimized using quantum chemical calculations based on a molecular mechanics method. The results obtained from these calculations suggested that a single hydroxyl group directed towards the outer part of thedefensin molecule and forming the carboxyl group of amino acid Glu14 could form a hydrogen bond with the active center of the membrane receptor. This explains the experimentally observed 1:1 stoichiometry of the ligand-receptor binding interaction between the defensin and the sensory neuron membrane.

Nonlinear turbulent magnetic diffusion and mean-field dynamo.

The nonlinear coefficients defining the mean electromotive force (i.e., the nonlinear turbulent magnetic diffusion, the nonlinear effective velocity, the nonlinear kappa tensor, etc.) are calculated for an anisotropic turbulence. A particular case of an anisotropic background turbulence (i.e., the turbulence with zero-mean magnetic field) with one preferential direction is considered. It is shown that the toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields have different nonlinear turbulent magnetic diffusion coefficients. It is demonstrated that even for a homogeneous turbulence there is a nonlinear effective velocity that exhibits diamagnetic or paramagnetic properties depending on the anisotropy of turbulence and the level of magnetic fluctuations in the background turbulence. The diamagnetic velocity results in the field being pushed out from the regions with stronger mean magnetic field, while the paramagnetic velocity causes the magnetic field to be concentrated in the regions with stronger field. Analysis shows that an anisotropy of turbulence strongly affects the nonlinear turbulent magnetic diffusion, the nonlinear effective velocity, and the nonlinear alpha effect. Two types of nonlinearities (algebraic and dynamic) are also discussed. The algebraic nonlinearity implies a nonlinear dependence of the mean electromotive force on the mean magnetic field. The dynamic nonlinearity is determined by a differential equation for the magnetic part of the alpha effect. It is shown that for the alphaOmega axisymmetric dynamo the algebraic nonlinearity alone (which includes the nonlinear alpha effect, the nonlinear turbulent magnetic diffusion, the nonlinear effective velocity, etc.) cannot saturate the dynamo generated mean magnetic field while the combined effect of the algebraic and dynamic nonlinearities limits the mean magnetic field growth.

Mean-field theory for a passive scalar advected by a turbulent velocity field with a random renewal time.

Mean-field theory for turbulent transport of a passive scalar (e.g., particles and gases) is discussed. Equations for the mean number density of particles advected by a random velocity field, with a finite correlation time, are derived. Mean-field equations for a passive scalar comprise spatial derivatives of high orders due to the nonlocal nature of passive scalar transport in a random velocity field with a finite correlation time. A turbulent velocity field with a random renewal time is considered. This model is more realistic than that with a constant renewal time used by Elperin et al. [Phys. Rev. E 61, 2617 (2000)], and employs two characteristic times: the correlation time of a random velocity field tau(c), and a mean renewal time tau. It is demonstrated that the turbulent diffusion coefficient is determined by the minimum of the times tau(c) and tau. The mean-field equation for a passive scalar was derived for different ratios of tau/tau(c). The important role of the statistics of the field of Lagrangian trajectories in turbulent transport of a passive scalar, in a random velocity field with a finite correlation time, is demonstrated. It is shown that in the case tau(c)<

Strange behavior of a passive scalar in a linear velocity field.

Damping (or growth) rates of a typical realization, mean-field and high-order correlation functions of a passive scalar (e.g., a number density of particles) advected by a linear velocity fields are estimated. It is shown that all statistical moments higher than the first moment and a typical realization of a passive scalar without an external pumping decay for both laminar and random incompressible linear velocity fields. Strong compressibility of a laminar linear velocity field can result in a growth of a typical realization and the high-order moments of a passive scalar. It is demonstrated that for a laminar compressible linear velocity field the flux of particles from the infinity does not vanish and the total number of particles is not conserved. For a random compressible linear velocity field a typical realization decays whereas the high-order moments of a passive scalar can grow. Comparison of the obtained results with those for dynamics of a passive scalar advected by a homogeneous isotropic and compressible turbulent flow with a given longitudinal two-point correlation function F=1-r(2) is performed (where r is the distance between two points measured in the units of the maximum scale of turbulent motions).

Electromotive force for an anisotropic turbulence: intermediate nonlinearity

A nonlinear electromotive force for an anisotropic turbulence in the case of intermediate nonlinearity is derived. The intermediate nonlinearity implies that the mean magnetic field is not strong enough to affect the correlation time of a turbulent velocity field. The nonlinear mean-field dependencies of the hydrodynamic and magnetic parts of the alpha effect, turbulent diffusion, and turbulent diamagnetic and paramagnetic velocities for an anisotropic turbulence are found. It is shown that the nonlinear turbulent diamagnetic and paramagnetic velocities are determined by both an inhomogeneity of the turbulence and an inhomogeneity of the mean magnetic field B. The latter implies that there are additional terms in the turbulent diamagnetic and paramagnetic velocities variation of [symbol: see text]B2 and variation of (B.[symbol: see text])B. These effects are caused by a tangling of a nonuniform mean magnetic field by hydrodynamic fluctuations. This increases the inhomogeneity of the mean magnetic field. It is also shown that in an isotropic turbulence the mean magnetic field causes an anisotropy of the nonlinear turbulent diffusion. Two types of nonlinearities in magnetic dynamo determined by algebraic and differential equations are discussed. Nonlinear systems of equations for axisymmetric alpha omega dynamos in both spherical and cylindrical coordinates are derived.

[Putative molecular mechanism of defensin interaction with the membrane of the sensory neuron]. / Vozmozhnyi molekuliarnyi mekhanizm vzaimodeistviia defensina s membranoi sensornogo neirona]

NP-1 defensin decreased effective charge transfer in the activation gating system of TTX-resistant (slow) sodium channels in a dose-dependent manner. The dissociation constant and Hill coefficient values were KD = 2 pM and X--0.9. Geometry of the NP-1 defensin molecule was built using its primary structure with three S-S briges and fully optimised in the framework of molecular mechanics method. The data obtained explain experimental results of stechiometry 1:1 due to ligand-receptor interaction by the only outward directed carboxyl group of Glu 14 which might form a hydrogen bond with a single binding site of non-identified defensin membrane receptor.

Magnetic helicity tensor for an anisotropic turbulence.

The evolution of the magnetic helicity tensor for a nonzero mean magnetic field and for large magnetic Reynolds numbers in an anisotropic turbulence is studied. It is shown that the isotropic and anisotropic parts of the magnetic helicity tensor have different characteristic times of evolution. The time of variation of the isotropic part of the magnetic helicity tensor is much larger than the correlation time of the turbulent velocity field. The anisotropic part of the magnetic helicity tensor changes for the correlation time of the turbulent velocity field. The mean turbulent flux of the magnetic helicity is calculated as well. It is shown that even a small anisotropy of turbulence strongly modifies the flux of the magnetic helicity. It is demonstrated that the tensor of the magnetic part of the alpha effect for weakly inhomogeneous turbulence is determined only by the isotropic part of the magnetic helicity tensor.