{
  "id": "2105.08407",
  "version": "v2",
  "published": "2021-05-18T09:59:41.000Z",
  "updated": "2021-08-30T14:12:25.000Z",
  "title": "Boundary layers in turbulent vertical convection at high Prandtl number",
  "authors": [
    "Christopher J. Howland",
    "Chong Shen Ng",
    "Roberto Verzicco",
    "Detlef Lohse"
  ],
  "comment": "18 pages, 7 figures, submitted to J. Fluid Mech",
  "categories": [
    "physics.flu-dyn"
  ],
  "abstract": "Many environmental flows arise due to natural convection at a vertical surface, from flows in buildings to dissolving ice faces at marine-terminating glaciers. We use three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of a vertical channel with differentially heated walls to investigate such convective, turbulent boundary layers. Through the implementation of a multiple-resolution technique, we are able to perform simulations at a wide range of Prandtl numbers $Pr$. This allows us to distinguish the parameter dependences of the horizontal heat flux and the boundary layer widths in terms of the Rayleigh number $Ra$ and Prandtl number $Pr$. For the considered parameter range $1\\leq Pr \\leq 100$, $10^6 \\leq Ra \\leq 10^9$, we find the flow to be consistent with a 'buoyancy-controlled' regime where the heat flux is independent of the wall separation. For given $Pr$, the heat flux is found to scale linearly with the friction velocity $V_\\ast$. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results for the parameterisation of heat and salt fluxes at vertical ice-ocean interfaces.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v2",
      "updated": "2021-08-30T14:12:25.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "high prandtl number",
      "turbulent vertical convection",
      "boundary layer widths",
      "three-dimensional direct numerical simulations",
      "horizontal heat flux"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 18,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable"
    }
  }
}