Arrowhead Shape Research Articles

Metamorphosis of a hairpin vortex into a young turbulent spot

Direct numerical simulation was used to study the formation and growth of a hairpin vortex in a flat-plate boundary layer and its later development into a young turbulent spot. Fluid injection through a slit in the wall triggered the initial vortex. The legs of the vortex were stretched into a hairpin shape as it traveled downstream. Multiple hairpin vortex heads developed between the stretched legs. New vortices formed beneath the streamwise-elongated vortex legs. The continued development of additional vortices resulted in the formation of a traveling region of highly disturbed flow with an arrowhead shape similar to that of a turbulent spot.

Wall shear stress and velocity in a turbulent axisymmetric boundary layer

Instantaneous streamwise fluctuations of the wall shear stress have been measured using a hot-element probe in a thick axisymmetric turbulent boundary layer on a cylinder aligned parallel to the flow. The measurements were made at a momentum-thickness Reynolds number Rθ = 3050 and a ratio of boundary-layer thickness to cylinder radius of δ/a = 5.7. The ratio of the r.m.s. of the fluctuation to the mean value of the wall shear stress, $\tau_{rms}/\bar{\tau}$, is about 0.32, a value slightly lower than that for recent measurements for flow over a flat plate. The probability density function of the wall shear stress is similar to that for planar wall-bounded flows within experimental error. The power spectral density of the wall shear stress shows that a cylindrical boundary layer contains less energy at lower frequencies and more energy at higher frequencies than other wall-bounded flows. Analysis of simultaneous measurement of the streamwise wall shear stress and the streamwise velocity using VITA and peak detection suggests that transverse curvature has little effect on the near-wall burst–sweep cycle compared to planar wall-bounded flows. The angle of inclination of the structures is similar to that measured for large-scale structures in planar wall-bounded flows. However, measurements of the cross-correlation between the shear stress and the velocity suggest the existence of smaller structures yawed to the axis of the cylinder. The coherence between shear stress and velocity shows a low frequency associated with the inclined structures and a higher frequency associated with the yawed structures. The yawed structures could have an arrowhead or half-arrowhead shape and may be associated with fluid from the outer flow washing over the cylinder.

On open and closed field line regions in Tsyganenko's field model and their possible associations with horse collar auroras

Using the empirical Tsyganenko (1987) long model as a prime example of a magnetospheric field model, we have attempted to identify the boundary between open and closed field lines. We define as “closed” all field lines that are connected with the Earth at both ends and cross the equatorial plane earthward of x = −70RE, the tailward validity limit of the Tsyganenko model. We find that the form of the open/closed boundary at the Earth's surface, identified with the polar cap boundary, can exhibit the arrowhead shape, pointed toward the Sun, observed in “horse collar auroras” (Hones et al., 1989). The “polar cap” size in the Tsyganenko model increases with increasing Kp values, and it becomes rounder and less pointed. The superposition of a net By field, which is the expected consequence of an IMF By, rotates the polar cap pattern and, for larger values, degrades the arrowhead shape, resulting in polar cap configurations consistent with known asymmetries in the aurora. The pointedness of the polar cap shape also diminishes or even completely disappears if the low‐latitude magnetopause is assumed open and located considerably inside of the outermost magnetic flux surface in the Tsyganenko model. The arrowhead shape of the polar cap is found to be associated with a strong increase of Bz from midnight toward the tail flanks, which is observed independently, and is possibly related to the NBZ field‐aligned current system, observed during quiet times and strongly northward IMF Bz. The larger Bz values near the flanks of the tail cause more magnetic flux to close through these regions than through the midnight equatorial region. Since field lines at the flanks primarily map to the dayside polar regions, it becomes plausible that the closed field line region extends to higher latitudes on the dayside than on the nightside, when the increase of Bz becomes more pronounced. By comparison with a different field model we demonstrate that this association is not unique to the Tsyganenko model. The similarity of the quiet symmetric polar cap pattern to “horse collar” auroras suggests that the bright “bars,” observed at the sides of the arrowhead shaped polar cap, are connected with the separatrix layers (or plasma sheet boundary layers) extending to the distant X line or separator, while the adjacent “web” regions, located between the bars and the main auroral oval, are connected with the low‐latitude boundary regions along the flanks of the magnetotail.

On the evolution of the turbulent spot in a laminar boundary layer with a favourable pressure gradient

The evolution of a turbulent spot in an accelerating laminar boundary-layer flow was investigated. The type of boundary layer chosen for this experiment resembles in every respect the flow in the vicinity of a stagnation point theoretically described by Falkner and Skan. The rate of growth of the spot was significantly inhibited by the favourable pressure gradient in all three directions. It became much shorter and narrower in comparison with a similar spot generated in a Blasius boundary layer at comparable distances from its origin and comparable Reynolds numbers. The celerities of its boundaries did not scale with the local free-stream velocity as they do in the absence of a pressure gradient. Dimensional analysis was used to identify and correlate the independent variables determining the size, the convection speed, and the relative rate of growth of this spotThe familiar arrowhead shape of the spot gave way to a rounded triangular shape with the trailing interface being straight and perpendicular to the direction of streaming. The familiar Tollmien-Schlichting wave packet was not observed in this pressure gradient because the surrounding boundary layer was very stable at theReconsidered. Since the arrowhead shape of the spot is associated with the breakdown of the waves within the packet it cannot occur below the criticalRe.The relative size of the ‘calmed region’ following the spot also diminished; however, one could only speculate as to the origin of this region.

Structure and development of the spermatozoon of the parasitic nematode, Nematospiroides dubius

Spermatogenesis and sperm maturation in Nematospiroides dubius were studied using electron microscopy. The testis is telegonic and germ cells in the zones of mitosis, growth and meiosis are connected by a central anucleate mass of cytoplasm, the rachis. The early part of spermatogenesis is dominated by the synthesis and growth of membrane-bound vesicles called membranous organelles, which originate from RER-associated Golgi bodies. Following meiosis the spermatids separate from the rachis and their chroinatin, which is no longer bounded by a nuclear envelope, condenses into an arrow-head shape and is extruded to form a tail-like structure. After insemination spermatozoa undergo a profound change called activation. The cytoplasmic region which was previously long and cylindrical becomes spherical and the membranous organelles which lined its perimeter fuse with the plasma membrane and become confined to the posterior hemisphere of the sperm, close to the nuclear tail. The anterior half of the sperm is devoid of organelles but contains many filaments organized into clumps and chains; this region being responsible for amoeboid locomotion of the sperm.

On a turbulent ‘spot’ in a laminar boundary layer

Artificially initiated turbulent spots in a Blasius boundary layer were investi- gated experimentally using hot-wire anemometers. Electrical discharges generated the spots, which grew in all directions rn they were swept downstream by the mean flow. A typical lateral spread angle of the spots is 10° to each side of t.he plane of symmetry. Conditional sampling methods were used to form ensemble-averaged data yielding the average shape of a spot and the mean flow field in its vicinity. Far downstream a spot exhibits conical similarity and all quantities measured seem to be independent of the type of disturbance which generated the spot in the first place.In plan view, the spot has an arrowhead shape whose leading interface is convected downstream somewhat more slowly than the free-stream velocity near the plane of symmetry and at approximately half the free-stream velocity at the extreme spanwise location. The trailing interface is convected at a constant velocity throughout (UTE = 0·5 U∞). In this way the spot entrains laminar fluid through both interfaces, resulting in its elongation it proceeds downstream. The flow near the surface accelerates abruptly as the leading interface passes by, however the acceleration continues within the spot and the velocity attains a maximum near the trailing interface. There is therefore a continuous increase in skin friction towards the trailing interface. Further away from the surface the passage of the spot is marked by deceleration followed by acceleration after the ridge of the spot passes the measuring station. All changes in velocity occur monotonically without causing inflexions or kinks in the ensemble-averaged velocity profiles. Although the displacement and momentum thicknesses change quite rapidly within the spot, the shape factor is practically constant in the interior region (H = 1·5); and the velocity profiles may be very well represented by the universal logarithmic distribution. The spanwise velocity component W is everywhere directed outwards (i.e. away from the plane of symmetry) and increases with increasing z. The component of velocity normal to the surface is directed towards the plate near the leading interface and away from it in the remaining part of the spot.Two-point velocity correlation measurements suggest that the spot may be represented by an arrowhead vortex tube which is convected downstream with a velocity equal to 65 yo of the free-stream velocity. Pluid which is entrained near the plane of symmetry acquires a helical motion towards the extremities of the spot. This motion helps to explain the lateral as well as the longitudinal spread of the spot.

I.—Notes on new or imperfectly known Chalk Polyzoa

Zoarium incrusting, with a tendency to grow in bands: the general surface stands high and shows no trace of zoœcial boundaries; it is much rumpled, apparently unsysteniatically, but is only broken by the zoœcial peristomes; these are short tubular prominences inclined slightly forwards but bent upwards at the ends so as to end in a plane parallel with the general surface: the apertures are on the whole circular, but very rarely truly so, and occasionally very irregular; they vary in internal diameter from -08 in a small specimen such as Fig. 2 up to -15mm. in a large specimen such as Fig. 3; the peristomes are thick and each has from one to four pores in it; these pores are generally small and round, but occasionally among the larger ones are found definite instances of arrowhead shape which makes it possible that all are avicularian: round the edges of the zoarium there is a fairly complete fringe of simple shallow Membraniporiform zoœcia, with the general surface either ending abruptly above them or sloping gradually down to them.