Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Atmospheric Techniques, Instruments, and Modeling".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2021) | Viewed by 15298

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
V. E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
Interests: atmospheric turbulence; phase fluctuation; adaptive optics; astronomy; astroclimatic conditions.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (ISTP SB RAS), Irkutsk 664033, Russia
Interests: turbulence and wave processes; telescope; methods; data processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
V. E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics SB RAS, 634055 Tomsk, Russia
Interests: atmospheric turbulence; theory of optical wave propagation and sensing; adaptive optics systems development; coherent turbulence; atmospheric turbulence measurements and models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we plan to present the current state of analytical, numerical, and experimental advances in atmospheric turbulence.

Conducting research in this field is important for solving problems of atmospheric optics, providing high-quality ground-based observations using optoelectronic systems, predicting "optical weather" and other tasks related to obtaining new knowledge about the nature of this phenomenon.

Articles in the following scientific fields are invited for publication:

  • Modeling of atmospheric turbulence to problems of astronomy, vision systems, energy transfer and communication;
  • Methods for reconstruction of turbulence and wind speed profiles;
  • Manifestations of the non-Kolmogorov turbulence;
  • Express-methods of diagnostics of atmospheric turbulence;
  • Distribution of mesospheric metal atoms;
  • Atmospheric turbulence in terahertz and X-ray problems.

Progress in these issues will largely be determined by the creation of new optical research methods. Equally important is the introduction of this knowledge into applied statistical models and the development of new computational methods for accounting for the impact of turbulence in various spheres of human activity. This will help to identify knowledge gaps and facilitate research in this field.

Dr. Evgeniy A. Kopylov
Dr. Artem Yu. Shikhovtsev
Prof. Dr. Vladimir P. Lukin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • atmospheric turbulence
  • phase fluctuation
  • adaptive optics
  • remote sensing of the atmosphere
  • wave propagation in random media

Published Papers (7 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 189 KiB  
Editorial
Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence
by Artem Yurievich Shikhovtsev and Evgeniy Anatolevich Kopylov
Atmosphere 2022, 13(7), 1107; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071107 - 14 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1302
Abstract
Turbulence is a phenomenon observed in the motions of fluids and gases [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

12 pages, 463 KiB  
Article
Wander of a Gaussian-Beam Wave Propagating through Kolmogorov and Non-Kolmogorov Turbulence along Laser-Satellite Communication Uplink
by Fazhi Wang, Wenhe Du, Qi Yuan, Daosen Liu and Shuang Feng
Atmosphere 2022, 13(2), 162; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos13020162 - 20 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2230
Abstract
It is accepted that there exists two kinds of atmospheric turbulence in the Earth’s aerosphere—Kolmogorov and non-Kolmogorov turbulence; therefore, it is important to research their combined impacts on laser-satellite communications. In this paper, the exponential power spectra of refractive-index fluctuations for non-Kolmogorov turbulence [...] Read more.
It is accepted that there exists two kinds of atmospheric turbulence in the Earth’s aerosphere—Kolmogorov and non-Kolmogorov turbulence; therefore, it is important to research their combined impacts on laser-satellite communications. In this paper, the exponential power spectra of refractive-index fluctuations for non-Kolmogorov turbulence in the free troposphere and stratosphere are proposed, respectively. Based on these two spectra, using the Markov approximation, beam wander displacement variances of a Gaussian-beam wave are derived, respectively, which are valid under weak turbulent fluctuations condition. On this basis, using a three-layer altitude-dependent turbulent spectrum model for vertical/slant path, the combined influence of a three-layer atmospheric turbulence on wander of a Gaussian-beam wave as the carrier wave in laser-satellite communication is studied. This three-layer spectrum is more accurate than a two-layer model. Moreover, the variations of beam wander displacement with beam radius, zenith angles, and nominal value of the refractive-index structure parameter on the ground are estimated. The theory of optical wave propagation through non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence is further enriched and a theoretical model of a three-layer atmospheric turbulence beam wander for a satellite-ground laser communication uplink is established. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence)
Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 979 KiB  
Article
Energy Spectra of Atmospheric Turbulence for Calculating Cn2 Parameter. I. Maidanak and Suffa Observatories in Uzbekistan
by Artem Yu. Shikhovtsev, Pavel G. Kovadlo, Evgeniy A. Kopylov, Mansur A. Ibrahimov, Shuhrat A. Ehgamberdiev and Yusufjon A. Tillayev
Atmosphere 2021, 12(12), 1614; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12121614 - 03 Dec 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2542
Abstract
Knowledge of the turbulence spectra is of interest for describing atmospheric conditions as applied to astronomical observations. This article discusses the deformations of the turbulence spectra with heights in a wide range of scales at the sites of the Maidanak and Suffa observatories. [...] Read more.
Knowledge of the turbulence spectra is of interest for describing atmospheric conditions as applied to astronomical observations. This article discusses the deformations of the turbulence spectra with heights in a wide range of scales at the sites of the Maidanak and Suffa observatories. It is shown that the energy of baroclinic instability is high at the sites of these observatories and should be taken into account in the calculations of the refractive index structure constant Cn2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence)
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 392 KiB  
Article
A Survey of Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence in Atmosphere and Related Turbulent Effects
by Fazhi Wang, Wenhe Du, Qi Yuan, Daosen Liu and Shuang Feng
Atmosphere 2021, 12(12), 1608; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12121608 - 02 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2454
Abstract
The Earth’s atmosphere is the living environment in which we live and cannot escape. Atmospheric turbulence is a typical random inhomogeneous medium, which causes random fluctuations of both the amplitude and phase of optical wave propagating through it. Currently, it is widely accepted [...] Read more.
The Earth’s atmosphere is the living environment in which we live and cannot escape. Atmospheric turbulence is a typical random inhomogeneous medium, which causes random fluctuations of both the amplitude and phase of optical wave propagating through it. Currently, it is widely accepted that there exists two kinds of turbulence in the aerosphere: one is Kolmogorov turbulence, and the other is non-Kolmogorov turbulence, which have been confirmed by both increasing experimental evidence and theoretical investigations. The results of atmospheric measurements have shown that the structure of atmospheric turbulence in the Earth’s atmosphere is composed of Kolmogorov turbulence at lower levels and non-Kolmogorov turbulence at higher levels. Since the time of Newton, people began to study optical wave propagation in atmospheric turbulence. In the early stage, optical wave propagation in Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence was mainly studied and then optical wave propagation in non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence was also studied. After more than half a century of efforts, the study of optical wave propagation in atmospheric turbulence has made great progress, and the theoretical results are also used to guide practical applications. On this basis, we summarize the development status and latest progress of propagation theory in atmospheric turbulence, mainly including propagation theory in conventional Kolmogorov turbulence and one in non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence. In addition, the combined influence of Kolmogorov and non-Kolmogorov turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere on optical wave propagation is also summarized. This timely summary is very necessary and is of great significance for various applications and development in the aerospace field, where the Earth’s atmosphere is one part of many links. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence)
Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 10722 KiB  
Article
Turbulence in Large-Scale Two-Dimensional Balanced Hard Sphere Gas Flow
by Rafail V. Abramov
Atmosphere 2021, 12(11), 1520; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12111520 - 18 Nov 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1404
Abstract
In recent works, we developed a model of balanced gas flow, where the momentum equation possesses an additional mean field forcing term, which originates from the hard sphere interaction potential between the gas particles. We demonstrated that, in our model, a turbulent gas [...] Read more.
In recent works, we developed a model of balanced gas flow, where the momentum equation possesses an additional mean field forcing term, which originates from the hard sphere interaction potential between the gas particles. We demonstrated that, in our model, a turbulent gas flow with a Kolmogorov kinetic energy spectrum develops from an otherwise laminar initial jet. In the current work, we investigate the possibility of a similar turbulent flow developing in a large-scale two-dimensional setting, where a strong external acceleration compresses the gas into a relatively thin slab along the third dimension. The main motivation behind the current work is the following. According to observations, horizontal turbulent motions in the Earth atmosphere manifest in a wide range of spatial scales, from hundreds of meters to thousands of kilometers. However, the air density rapidly decays with altitude, roughly by an order of magnitude each 15–20 km. This naturally raises the question as to whether or not there exists a dynamical mechanism which can produce large-scale turbulence within a purely two-dimensional gas flow. To our surprise, we discover that our model indeed produces turbulent flows and the corresponding Kolmogorov energy spectra in such a two-dimensional setting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence)
Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 2705 KiB  
Article
Method for Measuring the Second-Order Moment of Atmospheric Turbulence
by Hong Shen, Longkun Yu, Xu Jing and Fengfu Tan
Atmosphere 2021, 12(5), 564; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12050564 - 28 Apr 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1867
Abstract
The turbulence moment of order m (μm) is defined as the refractive index structure constant Cn2 integrated over the whole path z with path-weighting function zm. Optical effects of atmospheric turbulence are directly related to turbulence [...] Read more.
The turbulence moment of order m (μm) is defined as the refractive index structure constant Cn2 integrated over the whole path z with path-weighting function zm. Optical effects of atmospheric turbulence are directly related to turbulence moments. To evaluate the optical effects of atmospheric turbulence, it is necessary to measure the turbulence moment. It is well known that zero-order moments of turbulence (μ0) and five-thirds-order moments of turbulence (μ5/3), which correspond to the seeing and the isoplanatic angles, respectively, have been monitored as routine parameters in astronomical site testing. However, the direct measurement of second-order moments of turbulence (μ2) of the whole layer atmosphere has not been reported. Using a star as the light source, it has been found that μ2 can be measured through the covariance of the irradiance in two receiver apertures with suitable aperture size and aperture separation. Numerical results show that the theoretical error of this novel method is negligible in all the typical turbulence models. This method enabled us to monitor μ2 as a routine parameter in astronomical site testing, which is helpful to understand the characteristics of atmospheric turbulence better combined with μ0 and μ5/3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

10 pages, 2988 KiB  
Review
Turbulence: Vertical Shear of the Horizontal Wind, Jet Streams, Symmetry Breaking, Scale Invariance and Gibbs Free Energy
by Adrian F. Tuck
Atmosphere 2021, 12(11), 1414; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12111414 - 27 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2063
Abstract
The increase of the vertical scaling exponent of the horizontal wind Hv(s) with altitude from the surface of the Pacific Ocean to 13 km altitude, as observed by GPS dropsondes, is investigated. An explanation is offered in terms of the [...] Read more.
The increase of the vertical scaling exponent of the horizontal wind Hv(s) with altitude from the surface of the Pacific Ocean to 13 km altitude, as observed by GPS dropsondes, is investigated. An explanation is offered in terms of the decrease of gravitational force and decrease of quenching efficiency of excited photofragments from ozone photodissociation with increasing altitude (decreasing pressure). Turbulent scaling is examined in both the vertical from dropsondes and horizontal from aircraft observations; the scaling exponents H for both wind speed and temperature in both coordinates are positively correlated with traditional measures of jet stream strength. Interpretation of the results indicates that persistence of molecular velocity after collision induces symmetry breaking emergence of hydrodynamic flow via the mechanism first modelled by Alder and Wainwright, enabled by the Gibbs free energy carried by the highest speed molecules. It is suggested that the combined effects have the potential to address the cold bias in numerical models of the global atmosphere. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop