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MIT reveals the tangle under turbulence

The MIT team has visualized a complex network of two types of curves formed by two distinct groups of particles. The first type of curve attracts other fluid particles, while the second type repels them. This discovery may lead to better understanding of turbulent mixing and aid in designing more efficient vehicles.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMar 28, 2007

Scientists find new way to manipulate DNA

Researchers developed a new formula to design flows that break polymers into specific lengths or withstand certain flows, with potential implications for industries like shipping and oil. This discovery also enables more precise control over the length of DNA strands in genome sequencing.

SourceUniversity of Michigan·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 15, 2006

AGU journal highlights -- 23 June 2006

Researchers studied particle flow inside coronal streamers to understand space weather hazards. Turbulence within an oceanic mixed layer was found to inhibit sedimentation of planktonic particles. Zonal currents in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean were observed to flip direction, affecting water transport and zonal mass balance.

SourceAmerican Geophysical Union·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateJun 23, 2006

A high-speed camera records turbulence

A research team led by Professor Eberhard Bodenschatz has experimentally tested two theories on how particles separate in strong turbulence. The results, which agree with George Batchelor's predictions but not the Richardson-Obukhov law, suggest that particles move more slowly away from each other than previously assumed.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalScience·DateMar 6, 2006

Yale group to study atmospheric 'tsunamis'

Yale researchers will observe, describe, and explain severe atmospheric turbulence over mountains, focusing on 'gravity waves' that impact the stratosphere. The Terrain-induced Rotors Experiment (T-Rex) project aims to measure properties of whirlwinds formed in mountain ranges and monitor gravity wave behavior.

New equation helps unravel behavior of turbulence

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have discovered a new mathematical formula, called the advected delta-vee equation, that can help predict turbulent flow behavior. This equation provides a shortcut to describe a complex characteristic of turbulence called intermittency, which is difficult to include in computer models.

SourceJohns Hopkins University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateOct 17, 2005

Ocean spray lubricates hurricane winds

A new study reveals that ocean spray plays a crucial role in lubricating the swirling winds of hurricanes and cyclones. The researchers found that large water droplets kicked up by rough seas can inhibit turbulence, allowing winds to build to speeds approaching 200 miles per hour.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 25, 2005

Scientists discover secret of dolphin speed

Researchers found that soft flaky skin helps reduce drag caused by friction and shedding of the skin disturbs whirlpools of water called vortices, reducing drag. The study could help build faster boats and submarines using natural dolphin-inspired solutions.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalJournal of Turbulence·DateMay 14, 2004

NCAR scientists win award for in-flight turbulence prediction

NCAR scientists have developed a new algorithm to predict turbulence using airborne radars, enabling pilots to receive warnings up to 30 seconds in advance. The NCAR Efficient Spectral Processing Algorithm (NESPA) demonstrates an 80% detection rate and low false predictions, showing its feasibility for improving aviation safety.

$1.4 million NSF grant to study turbulent flows

A team of Cornell physicists and engineers are developing an instrument that can track hundreds of particles simultaneously, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of turbulent flows. The technology has the potential to improve climate models and predict how pollutants disperse in air or water.

Turbulence restrains itself

Turbulence has been observed to generate its own self-regulating flows that destroy turbulent eddies, according to recent experiments at DIII-D. These flows, predicted theoretically and seen in computer simulations, create a 'shearing' or tearing action that destroys turbulent eddies.

Novel simulations of turbulent reacting flows provide insight into physics of internal combustion

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have performed simulations that mimic hydrocarbon combustion, demonstrating a defining feature of combustion and gaining insights into the two-way interaction between chemistry and turbulence. The work aims to develop more realistic models of fluid mechanics and chemistry involved in combustion.

SourceUniversity at Buffalo·JournalJournal of Fluid Mechanics·DateJan 9, 2002

Hi-tech weather watchers on worldstage

The new radar technology can measure wind speed, direction and turbulence, and can be used to predict weather patterns. It has been commercialized by Atrad and is being used in various applications, including flight trials of a supersonic transport aircraft and weather forecasting in the UK.

Physicists Reconsider The Nature Of Turbulence

Recent experiments by physicists at the University of Notre Dame and Tohoku University have found that current theories describing turbulence may need modifications, particularly in extreme situations. The findings suggest that ultra-hard turbulence, a predicted state of turbulent flow, may not exist as previously thought.

SourceUniversity of Notre Dame·JournalNature·DateMar 25, 1999