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A DNS study of aerosol and small-scale cloud turbulence interaction

Babkovskaia, Natalia ; Rannik, Ullar ; Phillips, Vaughan LU orcid ; Siebert, Holger ; Wehner, Birgit and Boy, Michael (2016) In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 16(12). p.7889-7898
Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction between small-scale turbulence and aerosol and cloud microphysical properties using direct numerical simulations (DNS). We consider the domain located at the height of about 2000 m from the sea level, experiencing transient high supersaturation due to atmospheric fluctuations of temperature and humidity. To study the effect of total number of particles (Ntot) on air temperature, activation and supersaturation, we vary Ntot. To investigate the effect of aerosol dynamics on small-scale turbulence and vertical air motion, we vary the intensity of turbulent fluctuations and the buoyant force. We find that even a small number of aerosol particles (55.5... (More)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction between small-scale turbulence and aerosol and cloud microphysical properties using direct numerical simulations (DNS). We consider the domain located at the height of about 2000 m from the sea level, experiencing transient high supersaturation due to atmospheric fluctuations of temperature and humidity. To study the effect of total number of particles (Ntot) on air temperature, activation and supersaturation, we vary Ntot. To investigate the effect of aerosol dynamics on small-scale turbulence and vertical air motion, we vary the intensity of turbulent fluctuations and the buoyant force. We find that even a small number of aerosol particles (55.5 cm-3), and therefore a small droplet number concentration, strongly affects the air temperature due to release of latent heat. The system comes to an equilibrium faster and the relative number of activated particles appears to be smaller for larger Ntot. We conclude that aerosol particles strongly affect the air motion. In a case of updraught coursed by buoyant force, the presence of aerosol particles results in acceleration of air motion in vertical direction and increase of turbulent fluctuations.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
volume
16
issue
12
pages
10 pages
publisher
Copernicus GmbH
external identifiers
  • scopus:84977110959
  • wos:000379417300026
ISSN
1680-7316
DOI
10.5194/acp-16-7889-2016
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e9bd646b-e951-4fac-aa2b-252be031740e
date added to LUP
2017-01-19 13:08:18
date last changed
2024-01-04 21:04:22
@article{e9bd646b-e951-4fac-aa2b-252be031740e,
  abstract     = {{<p>The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction between small-scale turbulence and aerosol and cloud microphysical properties using direct numerical simulations (DNS). We consider the domain located at the height of about 2000 m from the sea level, experiencing transient high supersaturation due to atmospheric fluctuations of temperature and humidity. To study the effect of total number of particles (N<sub>tot</sub>) on air temperature, activation and supersaturation, we vary N<sub>tot</sub>. To investigate the effect of aerosol dynamics on small-scale turbulence and vertical air motion, we vary the intensity of turbulent fluctuations and the buoyant force. We find that even a small number of aerosol particles (55.5 cm<sup>-3</sup>), and therefore a small droplet number concentration, strongly affects the air temperature due to release of latent heat. The system comes to an equilibrium faster and the relative number of activated particles appears to be smaller for larger N<sub>tot</sub>. We conclude that aerosol particles strongly affect the air motion. In a case of updraught coursed by buoyant force, the presence of aerosol particles results in acceleration of air motion in vertical direction and increase of turbulent fluctuations.</p>}},
  author       = {{Babkovskaia, Natalia and Rannik, Ullar and Phillips, Vaughan and Siebert, Holger and Wehner, Birgit and Boy, Michael}},
  issn         = {{1680-7316}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{7889--7898}},
  publisher    = {{Copernicus GmbH}},
  series       = {{Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics}},
  title        = {{A DNS study of aerosol and small-scale cloud turbulence interaction}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7889-2016}},
  doi          = {{10.5194/acp-16-7889-2016}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}