1622 Spatial Structure in a Transition Process of Internal Gravity Waves
Details
Spatial structure of internal gravity waves was experimentally investigated in a strongly stably-stratified mixing layer with a stepwise mean temperature distribution. Multi-point simultaneous measurement was made on the temperature field by using a rake of 13 cold-wires system. Spatial structure and heat transfer mechanism in the transition process of the internal gravity waves were evaluated through coherence and joint probability density analyses. As the internal gravity waves developed downstream, the time-averaged heat flux was apparently suppressed despite of the positive temperature gradient. The random components produced by the destruction of the wave-front were dominated by the cold descending cells. Turbulence generation through the collapse of the internal gravity waves induced the negative heat flux in the stably-stratified mixing layer.
