Theory and modelling remain central to improving our understanding of undulatory and oscillatory swimming. Simple models based on added mass can help to give great insight into the mechanics of undulatory swimming, as demonstrated by animals such as eels, stingrays and knifefish. To understand the swimming of oscillatory swimmers such as tuna and dolphins, models need to consider both added mass forces and circulatory forces. For all types of swimming, experiments and theory agree that the most important velocity scale is the characteristic lateral velocity of the tail motion rather than the swimming speed, which erases to a large extent the difference between results obtained in a tethered mode, compared to those obtained using a free swimming condition. There is no one-to-one connection between the integrated swimming performance and the details of the wake structure, in that similar levels of efficiency can occur with very different wake structures. Flexibility and viscous effects play crucial roles in determining the efficiency, and for isolated propulsors changing the profile shape can significantly improve both thrust and efficiency. Also, combined heave and pitch motions with an appropriate phase difference are essential to achieve high performance. Reducing the aspect ratio will always reduce thrust and efficiency, but its effects are now reasonably well understood. Planform shape can have an important mitigating influence, as do non-sinusoidal gaits and intermittent actuation.

A new family of exact solutions to the two-dimensional steady incompressible Euler equation is presented. The solutions provide a class of hybrid equilibria comprising two point vortices of unit circulation – a point vortex pair – embedded in a smooth sea of non-zero vorticity of ‘Stuart-type’ so that the vorticity $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}$ and the stream function $\unicode[STIX]{x1D713}$ are related by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}=a\text{e}^{b\unicode[STIX]{x1D713}}-\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}(\boldsymbol{x}-\boldsymbol{x}_{0})-\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}(\boldsymbol{x}+\boldsymbol{x}_{0})$, where $a$ and $b$ are constants. We also examine limits of these new Stuart-embedded point vortex equilibria where the Stuart-type vorticity becomes localized into additional point vortices. One such limit results in a two-real-parameter family of smoothly deformable point vortex equilibria in an otherwise irrotational flow. The new class of hybrid equilibria can be viewed as continuously interpolating between the limiting pure point vortex equilibria. At the same time the new solutions continuously extrapolate a similar class of hybrid equilibria identified by Crowdy (Phys. Fluids, vol. 15, 2003, pp. 3710–3717).

We consider a three-dimensional acoustic field of an ideal gas in which all entropy production is confined to weak shocks and show that similar scaling relations hold for such a field as for forced Burgers turbulence, where the shock amplitude scales as $(\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}d)^{1/3}$ and the $p$th-order structure function scales as $(\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}d)^{p/3}r/d$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$ being the mean energy dissipation per unit mass, $d$ the mean distance between the shocks and $r$ the separation distance. However, for the acoustic field, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$ should be replaced by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}$, where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}$ is associated with entropy production due to heat conduction. In particular, the third-order longitudinal structure function scales as $\langle \unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}u_{r}^{3}\rangle =-C(\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D712})r$, where $C$ takes the value $12/5(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}+1)$ in the weak shock limit, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}=c_{p}/c_{v}$ being the ratio between the specific heats at constant pressure and constant volume.

The dynamics of spherical particles in a fluid flow is governed by the well-accepted Maxey–Riley equation. This equation of motion simply represents Newton’s second law, equating the rate of change of the linear momentum with all forces acting on the particle. One of these forces, the Basset–Boussinesq memory term, however, is notoriously difficult to handle, which prompts most studies to ignore this term despite ample numerical and experimental evidence of its significance. This practice may well change now due to a clever reformulation of the particle equation of motion by Prasath, Vasan & Govindarajan (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 868, 2019, pp. 428–460), who convert the Maxey–Riley equation into a one-dimensional heat equation with non-trivial boundary conditions. Remarkably, this reformulation confirms earlier estimates on particle asymptotics, yields previously unknown analytic solutions and leads to an efficient numerical scheme for more complex flow fields.

In this paper a one-dimensional numerical study on the nonlinear behaviour of an electrically charged jet of Oldroyd-B viscoelastic, Taylor–Melcher leaky dielectric liquid is carried out. The effect of surface charge level, axial wavenumber and finite conductivity on the nonlinear evolution of the jet is investigated. Different structures including beads-on-a-string with/without satellite droplets, quasi-spikes and spikes are detected, and their domains in the plane of the non-dimensional axial wavenumber and the electrical Bond number are illustrated. The underlying mechanisms in the formation of the structures are examined. It is found that tangential electrostatic force plays a key role in the formation of a quasi-spike structure. Decreasing liquid conductivity may lead to a decrease in the size of satellite droplets or even the complete removal of them from a beads-on-a-string structure, induce the transition from a beads-on-a-string to a quasi-spike structure or postpone the appearance of a spike. On the other hand, finite conductivity has little influence on filament thinning in a beads-on-a-string structure, owing to the fact that the electrostatic forces are of secondary importance compared with the capillary force. The difference between the finite conductivity, large conductivity and other cases is elucidated. An experiment is carried out to observe spike structures.

Direct numerical simulations of high-speed mixing layers are used to characterize the effects of compressibility on the basis of local streamline topology and vortical structure. Temporal simulations of the mixing layers are performed using a finite volume gas-kinetic scheme for convective Mach numbers ranging from $M_{c}=0.2$ to $M_{c}=1.2$. The focus of the study is on the transient development and the main objectives are to (i) investigate and characterize the turbulence suppression mechanism conditioned upon local streamline topology; and (ii) examine changes in the vortex vector field – distribution, magnitude and orientation – as a function of Mach number. We first reaffirm that kinetic energy suppression with increasing Mach number is due to a decrease in pressure–strain redistribution. Then, we examine the suppression mechanism conditioned upon topology and vortex structure. Conditional statistics indicate that (i) at a given Mach number, shear-dominated topologies generally exhibit more effective pressure–strain redistribution than vortical topologies; and (ii) for a given topology, the level of pressure–strain correlation mostly decreases with increasing Mach number. At each topology, with increasing Mach number, there is a corresponding decrease in turbulent shear stress and production leading to reduced kinetic energy. Further, as $M_{c}$ increases, the proportion of vortex-dominated regions in the flow increases, leading to further reduction in the turbulent kinetic energy of the flow. Then, the orientation of vortical structures and direction of fluid rotation are examined using the vortex vector approach of Tian et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 849, 2018, pp. 312–339). At higher $M_{c}$, the vortex vectors tend to be more aligned in the streamwise direction in contrast to low $M_{c}$ wherein larger angles with streamwise direction are preferred. The connection between vortex orientation and kinetic energy production is also investigated. The findings lead to improved insight into turbulence suppression dynamics in high Mach number turbulent flows.

This paper reports on a theoretical analysis of convection in an inclined layer of mercury, a common low-Prandtl-number fluid ($Pr=0.025$). The investigation is based on the standard Oberbeck–Boussinesq equations, which are explored as a function of the inclination angle $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}$ and for Rayleigh numbers $R$ in the vicinity of the convection onset. Along with the conventional Galerkin methods to study convection rolls and their secondary instabilities, we employ direct numerical simulations for fluid layers with quite large aspect ratios. It turns out that, even for small inclination angles $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}\lesssim 6^{\circ }$, the secondary instabilities of the basic rolls lead either to oscillatory three-dimensional patterns or to stationary ones, which appear alternately with increasing $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}$. Due to the competition of these instabilities the patterns may show a complex dynamics.

In this paper we present an experimental and theoretical study of weak bubble plumes in unstratified and stationary water. We define a weak bubble plume as one that spreads slower than the linear rate of a classic plume. This work focuses on the characteristics of the mean flow in the plume, including centreline velocity, plume spreading and entrainment of ambient water. A new theory based on diffusive spreading instead of an entrainment hypothesis is used to describe the lateral spreading of the bubbles and the associated plume. The new theory is supported by the experimental data. With the measured data of liquid volume fluxes and the new theory, we conclude that the weak bubble plume is a decreasing entrainment process, with the entrainment coefficient $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}$ in the weak bubble plume decreasing with height $z$, following $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}\sim z^{-1/2}$, and taking on values much smaller than those in a classic bubble plume. An additional non-dimensional diffusion coefficient, $\hat{E_{t}}\sim E_{t}U_{s}^{2}/B_{0}$, is also needed to describe the evolution of the volume and kinematic momentum fluxes for the mean flow in the weak bubble plume. Here, $E_{t}$ is the effective turbulent diffusion coefficient, $U_{s}$ is the terminal rise velocity of the bubbles, and $B_{0}$ is the kinematic buoyancy flux of the source. Finally, we provide a unified framework for the mean flow characteristics, including volume flux, momentum flux and plume spreading for the classic and weak bubble plumes, which also provides insight on the transition from classic to weak bubble plume behaviour.

The canonical problem of transonic dense gas flows past two-dimensional compression/expansion ramps has recently been investigated by Kluwick & Cox (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 848, 2018, pp. 756–787). Their results are for unconfined flows and have to be supplemented with solutions of another canonical problem dealing with the reflection of disturbances from an opposing wall to finally provide a realistic picture of flows in confined geometries of practical importance. Shock reflection in dense gases for transonic flows is the problem addressed in this paper. Analytical results are presented in terms of similarity parameters associated with the fundamental derivative of gas dynamics $(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4})$, its derivative with respect to the density at constant entropy $(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6EC})$ and the Mach number $(M)$ of the upstream flow. The richer complexity of flows scenarios possible beyond classical shock reflection is demonstrated. For example: incident shocks close to normal incidence on a reflecting boundary can lead to a compound shock–wave fan reflected flow or a pure wave fan flow as well as classical flow where a compressive reflected shock attached to the reflecting boundary is observed. With incident shock angles sufficiently away from normal incidence regular reflection becomes impossible and so-called irregular reflection occurs involving a detached reflection point where an incident shock, reflected shock and a Mach stem shock which remains connected to the boundary all intersect. This triple point intersection which also includes a wave fan is known as Guderley reflection. This classical result is demonstrated to carry over to the case of dense gases. It is then finally shown that the Mach stem formed may disintegrate into a compound shock–wave fan structure generating an additional secondary upstream shock. The aim of the present study is to provide insight into flows realised, for example, in wind tunnel experiments where evidence for non-classical gas dynamic effects such as rarefaction shocks is looked for. These have been predicted theoretically by the seminal work of Thompson (Phys. Fluids, vol. 14 (9), 1971, pp. 1843–1849) but have withstood experimental detection in shock tubes so far, due to, among others, difficulties to establish purely one-dimensional flows.

Topographic complexity on continental shelves is the catalyst that transforms the barotropic tide into the secondary and residual circulations that dominate vertical and cross-shelf mixing processes. Island wakes are one such example that are observed to significantly influence the transport and distribution of biological and physical scalars. Despite the importance of island wakes, to date, no sufficient, mechanistic description of the physical processes governing their development exists for the general case of unsteady tidal forcing. Controlled laboratory experiments are necessary for the understanding of this complex flow phenomenon. Here, three-dimensional velocity field measurements of cylinder wakes in shallow-water oscillatory flow are conducted across a parameter space that is typical of tidal flow around shallow islands. The wake form in steady flows is typically described in terms of the stability parameter $S=c_{f}D/h$ (where $D$ is the island diameter, $h$ is the water depth and $c_{f}$ is the bottom boundary friction coefficient); in tidal flows, there is an additional dependence on the Keulegan–Carpenter number $KC=U_{0}T/D$ (where $U_{0}$ is the tidal velocity amplitude and $T$ is the tidal period). In this study we demonstrate that when the influence of bottom friction is confined to a Stokes boundary layer the stability parameter is given by $S=\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}/KC$ where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}$ is the ratio of the wavelength of the Stokes bottom boundary layer to the depth. Three classes of wake form are observed with decreasing wake stability: (i) steady bubble for $S\gtrsim 0.1$; (ii) unsteady bubble for $0.06\lesssim S\lesssim 0.1$; and (iii) vortex shedding for $S\lesssim 0.06$. Transitions in wake form and wake stability are shown to depend on the magnitude and temporal evolution of the wake return flow. Scaling laws are developed to allow upscaling of the laboratory results to island wakes. Vertical and lateral transport depend on three parameters: (i) the flow aspect ratio $h/D$; (ii) the amplitude of tidal motion relative to the island size, given by $KC$; and (iii) the relative influence of bottom friction to the flow depth, given by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}$. A model of wake upwelling based on Ekman pumping from the bottom boundary layer demonstrates that upwelling in the near-wake region of an island scales with $U_{0}(h/D)KC^{1/6}$ and is independent of the wake form. Finally, we demonstrate an intrinsic link between the dynamical eddy scales, predicted by the Ekman pumping model, and the island wake form and stability.

We consider the time-dependent flow of a fluid of density $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1}$ in a vertical cylindrical container embedded in a fluid of density $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}~({<}\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1})$ whose side boundary is suddenly removed and the fluid drains freely from the edge. We show that in the inertial–buoyancy regime (large initial Reynolds number) the flow is modelled by the shallow-water equations and bears similarities to a gravity current released from a lock (the dam-break problem) driven by the reduced gravity $g^{\prime }=(1-\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1})g$. This formulation is amenable to an efficient finite-difference solution. Moreover, we demonstrate that similarity solutions exist, and show that the flow created by the dam break approaches the predicted self-similar behaviour when the volume ratio ${\mathcal{V}}(t)/{\mathcal{V}}(0)\approx 1/2$ where $t$ is time elapsed from the dam break. We considered two cases of drainage: (i) outward from the outer boundary in a full-radius reservoir; and (ii) inward from the inner radius in an annular-shaped reservoir. For the first case the similarity solution is expressed analytically, while the second case is more complicated and requires a numerical solution. In both cases ${\mathcal{V}}(t)/{\mathcal{V}}(0)$ decays like $t^{-2}$, but the details are different. The similarity solutions admit an adjustable virtual-origin constant, which we determine by matching with the finite-difference solution. The analysis is valid for both Boussinesq and non-Boussinesq systems, and a wide range of geometric parameters (inner and outer radii, and height). The importance of the neglected viscous terms increases with time, and eventually the inertial–buoyancy model becomes invalid. An estimate for this occurrence is also provided. The predictions of the model are compared to results of direct numerical simulations; there is good agreement for the position of the interface and for the averaged radial velocity, and excellent agreement for ${\mathcal{V}}(t)/{\mathcal{V}}(0)$. A box model is used for estimating the effect of a partial (over a sector) dam break. This study is an extension of the work for a rectangular reservoir of Momen et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 827, 2017, pp. 640–663). We demonstrate that there are some similarities, but also significant differences, between the rectangular and the cylindrical reservoirs concerning the velocity, shape of the interface and rate of drainage, which are of interest in applications. The overall conclusion is that this simple model captures very well the flow field under consideration.

In this work, we theoretically investigate the swimming velocity of a Taylor swimming sheet immersed in a linearly density-stratified fluid. We use a regular perturbation expansion approach to estimate the swimming velocity up to second order in wave amplitude. We divide our analysis into two regimes of low ($\ll O(1)$) and finite Reynolds numbers. We use our solution to understand the effect of stratification on the swimming behaviour of organisms. We find that stratification significantly influences motility characteristics of the swimmer such as the swimming speed, hydrodynamic power expenditure, swimming efficiency and the induced mixing, quantified by mixing efficiency and diapycnal eddy diffusivity. We explore this dependence in detail for both low and finite Reynolds number and elucidate the fundamental insights obtained. We expect our work to shed some light on the importance of stratification in the locomotion of organisms living in density-stratified aquatic environments.

The mixing of a reactive scalar by a fluid flow can have a significant impact on reaction dynamics and the growth of reacted regions. However, experimental studies of the fluid mechanics of reactive mixing present significant challenges and puzzling results. The observed speed at which reacted regions expand can be separated into a contribution from the underlying flow and a contribution from reaction–diffusion dynamics, which we call the chemical front speed. In prior work (Nevins & Kelley, Chaos, vol. 28 (4), 2018, 043122), we were surprised to observe that the chemical front speed increased where the underlying flow in a thin layer was faster. In this paper, we show that the increase is physical and is caused by smearing of reaction fronts by vertical shear. We show that the increase occurs not only in thin-layer flows with a free surface, but also in Hele-Shaw systems. We draw these conclusions from a series of simulations in which reaction fronts are located according to depth-averaged concentration, as is common in laboratory experiments. Where the front profile is deformed by shear, the apparent front speed changes as well. We compare the simulations to new experimental results and find close quantitative agreement. We also show that changes to the apparent front speed are reduced approximately 80 % by adding a lubrication layer.

We report a systematic study of spatial variations of the probability density function (PDF) $P(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}T)$ for temperature fluctuations $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}T$ in turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection along the central axis of two different convection cells. One of the convection cells is a vertical thin disk and the other is an upright cylinder of aspect ratio unity. By changing the distance $z$ away from the bottom conducting plate, we find the functional form of the measured $P(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}T)$ in both cells evolves continuously with distinct changes in four different flow regions, namely, the thermal boundary layer, mixing zone, turbulent bulk region and cell centre. By assuming temperature fluctuations in different flow regions are all made from two independent sources, namely, a homogeneous (turbulent) background which obeys Gaussian statistics and non-uniform thermal plumes with an exponential distribution, we obtain the analytic expressions of $P(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}T)$ in four different flow regions, which are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Our work thus provides a unique theoretical framework with a common set of parameters to quantitatively describe the effect of turbulent background, thermal plumes and their spatio-temporal intermittency on the temperature PDF $P(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}T)$.

A wide range of initial-value problems in fluid mechanics in particular, and in the physical sciences in general, are described by nonlinear partial differential equations. Recourse must often be made to numerical solutions, but a powerful, well-established technique is to solve the problem in terms of similarity variables. A disadvantage of the similarity solution is that it is almost always independent of any specific initial conditions, with the solution to the full differential equation approaching the similarity solution for times $t\gg t_{\ast }$, for some $t_{\ast }$. But what is $t_{\ast }$? In this paper we consider the situation of viscous gravity currents and obtain useful formulae for the time of approach, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}(p)$, for a number of different initial shapes, where $p$ is the percentage disagreement between the radius of the current as determined by the full numerical solution of the governing partial differential equation and the similarity solution normalised by the similarity solution. We show that for any initial shape of volume $V,\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}\propto 1/(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}V^{1/3}\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}_{0}^{8/3}p)$ (as $p\downarrow 0$), where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}=g\unicode[STIX]{x0394}\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}/(3\unicode[STIX]{x1D707})$, with $g$ representing the acceleration due to gravity, $\unicode[STIX]{x0394}\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}$ the density difference between the gravity current and the ambient, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}$ the dynamic viscosity of the fluid that makes up the gravity current and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}_{0}$ the initial aspect ratio. This framework can used in many other situations, including where it is not an initial condition (in time) that is studied but one valid for specified values at a special spatial coordinate.

In this paper, instabilities in the flow over a circular cylinder of diameter $D$ with dual splitter plates attached to its rear surface are numerically investigated using the spectral element method. The key parameters are the splitter plate length $L$, the attachment angle $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}$ and the Reynolds number $Re$. The presence of the plates was found to significantly modify the flow topology, leading to substantial changes in both the primary and secondary instabilities. The results showed that the three instability modes present in the bare circular cylinder wake still exist in the wake of the present configurations and that, in general, the occurrences of modes A and B are delayed, while the onset of mode QP is earlier in the presence of the splitter plates. Furthermore, two new synchronous modes, referred to as mode A$^{\prime }$ and mode B$^{\prime }$, are found to develop in the wake. Mode A$^{\prime }$ is similar to mode A but with a quite long critical wavelength. Mode B$^{\prime }$ shares the same spatio-temporal symmetries as mode B but has a distinct spatial structure. With the exception of the case of $L/D=0.25$, mode A$^{\prime }$ persists for all configurations investigated here and always precedes the transition through mode A. The onset of mode B$^{\prime }$ occurs for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}>20^{\circ }$ with $L/D=1.0$ and for $L/D>0.5$ with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}=60^{\circ }$. The characteristics of all the transition modes are analysed, and their similarities and differences are discussed in detail in comparison with the existing modes. In addition, the physical mechanism responsible for the instability mode B$^{\prime }$ is proposed. The weakly nonlinear feature of mode B$^{\prime }$, as well as that of mode A$^{\prime }$, is assessed by employing the Landau model. Finally, selected three-dimensional simulations are performed to confirm the existence of these two new modes and to investigate the nonlinear evolution of the three-dimensional modes.

We theoretically study small-amplitude oscillations of permeable cylinders immersed in an unbounded fluid. Specifically, we examine the effects of oscillation frequency, permeability and shape on the effective mass and damping coefficients, the latter of which is proportional to the power required to sustain the vibrations. Cylinders of circular and elliptical cross-sections undergoing transverse and rotational vibrations are considered. The dynamics of the fluid flow through porous cylinders is assumed to obey the unsteady Brinkman–Debye–Bueche equations. We use a singularity method to analytically calculate the flow field within and around circular cylinders, whereas we introduce a Fourier-pseudospectral method to numerically solve the governing equations for elliptical cylinders. We find that, if rescaled properly, the analytical results for circular cylinders provide very good estimates for the behaviour of elliptical ones over a wide range of conditions. More importantly, our calculations indicate that, at sufficiently high frequencies, the damping coefficient of oscillations varies non-monotonically with the permeability, in which case it maximizes when the diffusion length scale for the vorticity is comparable to the penetration length scale for the flow within the porous material. Depending on the oscillation period, the maximum damping of a permeable cylinder can be many times greater than that of an otherwise impermeable one. This might seem counter-intuitive at first, since generally the power it takes to steadily drag a permeable object through a fluid is less than the power needed to drive the steady motion of the same, but impermeable, object. However, the driving power (or damping coefficient) for oscillating bodies is determined not only by the amplitude of the cyclic fluid load experienced by them but also by the phase shift between the load and their periodic motion. An increase in the latter is responsible for the excess damping coefficient of vibrating porous cylinders.

In an annular spherical domain with separation $d$, the onset of convective motion occurs at a critical Rayleigh number $Ra=Ra_{c}$. Solving the axisymmetric linear stability problem shows that degenerate points $(d=d_{c},Ra_{c})$ exist where two modes simultaneously become unstable. Considering the weakly nonlinear evolution of these two modes, it is found that spatial resonances play a crucial role in determining the preferred convection pattern for neighbouring modes $(\ell ,\ell \pm 1)$ and non-neighbouring even modes $(\ell ,\ell \pm 2)$. Deriving coupled amplitude equations relevant to all degeneracies, we outline the possible solutions and the influence of changes in $d,Ra$ and Prandtl number $Pr$. Using direct numerical simulation (DNS) to verify all results, time periodic solutions are also outlined for small $Pr$. The $2:1$ periodic signature observed to be general for oscillations in a spherical annulus is explained using the structure of the equations. The relevance of all solutions presented is determined by computing their stability with respect to non-axisymmetric perturbations at large $Pr$.

We present a study on the interaction between wind and water waves with a broad-band spectrum using wave-phase-resolved simulation with long-term wave field evolution. The wind turbulence is computed using large-eddy simulation and the wave field is simulated using a high-order spectral method. Numerical experiments are carried out for turbulent wind blowing over a wave field initialised using the Joint North Sea Wave Project spectrum, with various wind speeds considered. The results show that the waves, together with the mean wind flow and large turbulent eddies, have a significant impact on the wavenumber–frequency spectrum of the wind turbulence. It is found that the shear stress contributed by sweep events in turbulent wind is greatly enhanced as a result of the waves. The dependence of the wave growth rate on the wave age is consistent with the results in the literature. The probability density function and high-order statistics of the wave surface elevation deviate from the Gaussian distribution, manifesting the nonlinearity of the wave field. The shape of the change in the spectrum of wind-waves resembles that of the nonlinear wave–wave interactions, indicating the dominant role played by the nonlinear interactions in the evolution of the wave spectrum. The frequency downshift phenomenon is captured in our simulations wherein the wind-forced wave field evolves for $O(3000)$ peak wave periods. Using the numerical result, we compute the universal constant in a wave-growth law proposed in the literature, and substantiate the scaling of wind–wave growth based on intrinsic wave properties.

Vortex structures are very popular research objects in turbulent boundary layers (TBLs) because of their prime importance in turbulence modelling. This work performs a tomographic particle image velocimetry measurement on the near-wall region ($y<0.1\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}$) of TBLs at three Reynolds numbers $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}=1238$, 2286 and 3081. The main attention is paid to the wall-normal evolution of the vortex geometries and topologies. The vortex is identified with swirl strength ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{ci}$), and its orientation is recognized by using the real eigenvector of the velocity gradient tensor. The vortex inclination angles in the streamwise–wall-normal plane and in the streamwise–spanwise plane as functions of wall-normal positions are investigated, which provide useful information to speculate on the three-dimensional shape of the vortex tubes in a TBL. The difference between the orientations of vorticity and swirl is discussed and their inherent relationship is revealed based on the governing equation of vorticity. Linear stochastic estimation (LSE) is further deployed to directly extract three-dimensional vortex models. The LSE velocity fields for ejection events happening at different wall-normal positions shed light on the evolution of the topologies for the vortices dominating ejection events. LSE based on a centred prograde spanwise vortex provides a typical packet model, which indicates that the population density of the packets in a TBL is large enough to leave footprints in conditionally averaged flow fields. This work should help to settle the severe debate on the existence of packet structures and also lays some foundation for the TBL model theory.