Not all icebergs melt equally. Through a combination of experiment and numerical simulation, researchers have shown that an iceberg’s shape underwater strongly affects how it melts. Specifically, icebergs in a Keep reading
Tag: numerical simulation
Spiderwebs and Stratocumulus Clouds
Stratocumulus clouds cover about 20% of Earth’s surface at any given time, and they form distinctive patterns of lumpy cells separated by thin slits. Because of their interconnectedness, researchers nicknamed Keep reading
Cutting Coronavirus Risk in Cars
Even in a pandemic, it’s sometimes necessary to share a car with someone outside one’s bubble. When that’s the case, it’s important to know how to limit risks of coronavirus Keep reading
Recreating Acoustics
The cultural heritage of a site is made up of more than its appearance; its soundscape is vital, as well. Acousticians and historians work together to preserve and recreate the Keep reading
Hammerhead Hydrodynamics
Hammerhead sharks have some of the most distinctive craniums in the ocean, which begs the question: how do they swim with that head? New computational fluid dynamics studies suggest that Keep reading
The Structure of the Blue Whirl
Several years ago, researchers discovered a new type of flame, the blue whirl. Now computational simulations have helped them untangle the complex structure of this clean-burning flame. Their work shows Keep reading
Shear and Convection in Turbulence
In nature, we often find turbulence mixed with convection, meaning that part of the flow is driven by temperature variation. Think thunderstorms, wildfires, or even the hot, desiccating winds of Keep reading
Landings Beyond Earth
With planning for manned and unmanned missions to the Moon, Mars, and many asteroids underway, engineers are using numerical simulations to understand how spacecraft thrusters interact with planetary surfaces. Most Keep reading
Simulating Better Breaking Waves
In the ocean, breaking waves trap air into bubbles that then cluster into foam, but conventional simulations don’t capture this foaminess. For bubbles to cluster into foam, there has to Keep reading
Contrails From 4 Engines
The wingtip vortices of aircraft provide a veritable cornucopia of gorgeous imagery. There’s something inherently fascinating about these vortices that stretch behind moving aircraft. But four-engine aircraft add an extra Keep reading