Role of the basin boundary conditions in gravity wave turbulence

Gravity wave turbulence is studied experimentally in a large wave basin where irregular waves are generated unidirectionally. The role of the basin boundary conditions (absorbing or reflecting) and of the forcing properties are investigated. To that purpose, an absorbing sloping beach opposite to the wavemaker can be replaced by a reflecting vertical wall. We observe that the wave field properties depend strongly on these boundary conditions. Quasi-one dimensional field of nonlinear waves propagate before to be damped by the beach whereas a more multidirectional wave field is observed with the wall. In both cases, the wave spectrum scales as a frequency-power law with an exponent that increases continuously with the forcing amplitude up to a value close to -4, which is the value predicted by the weak turbulence theory. The physical mechanisms involved are probably different according to the boundary condition used, but cannot be easily discriminated with only temporal measurements. We have also studied freely decaying gravity wave turbulence in the closed basin. No self-similar decay of the spectrum is observed, whereas its Fourier modes decay first as a time power law due to nonlinear mechanisms, and then exponentially due to linear viscous damping. We estimate the linear, nonlinear and dissipative time scales to test the time scale separation that highlights the important role of a large scale Fourier mode. By estimation of the mean energy flux from the initial decay of wave energy, the Kolmogorov-Zakharov constant is evaluated and found to be compatible with a recent theoretical value.Comment: Journal of Fluid Mechanics, Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2015, in press in JF

Effets induits en surface par un écoulement turbulent

We study surface manifestations of a turbulent flow from an experimental point of view. Specifically we study a turbulent flow in a thin layer of fluid (a liquid metal) with free surface. The flow is generated with an electromagnetic force. It exhibits interacting vortices, shear bands and waves, depending on the forcing conditions. We explored three consequences of the horizontal turbulent motion as observed on the surface: Surface deformation itself; the effects on propagating waves; and the effects on floating particles. Concerning the surface deformation: when the forcing strength is increased, we observe a linear increase of the surface level r.m.s. fluctuations up to 10% of the liquid layer thickness. Largest deformations, however, can reach a half of the layer thickness. Surface deformation is mainly produced by vortices, thus it is asymmetric through values under the mean. This contrast with observations in random sea waves and wave turbulence, were an asymmetry appears as well --this time through values above the mean--, as a consequence of sharp crests in steep gravity waves. The frequency spectrum of the deformation follows a power-law with an exponent close to -5, similar to the singularity spectrum of Phillips. Thus, we presented the statistical signature of vortical motion. We considered another aspect of the wave-turbulence relation: we mechanically induced a monochromatic wave over the turbulent flow. We measure a reduction and widening of the wave spectral peak that happens when turbulent motion is increased. Also, we computed coherent averages to emphasize the wavy part of the signal. We observe a spatial decay in wave content when turbulent motion is increased. Therefore, we quantified the enhancement of wave attenuation due to turbulence, and we observed its non trivial dependence on the wave frequency. Concerning dynamics of floating particles: We observe that particles have the tendency to form clusters, and we confirm this observation by developing a statistical method based on the areas defined by the position of three nearest neighbors. This tool allows us to clearly identify particles belonging to a cluster. Indeed, clustered particles exhibit much stronger velocity and angular correlations than the unconditioned case. Several mechanisms are susceptible to induce clustering of floating particles. We identify (i) particles' inertia, (ii) upwelling/downwelling flows and (iii) surface tension. For each mechanism we construct suitable quantities, which we correlate with the cumulated concentration of particles. These correlations suggest upwelling and downwelling motions as responsible for particles clustering.Nous nous intéressons aux effets en surface induits par un écoulement turbulent, en utilisant une approche expérimentale. Nous étudions un écoulement turbulent de faible épaisseur avec une surface libre. L'écoulement est produit dans un métal liquide à l'aide d'une force électromagnétique. Il présente des tourbillons, des bandes de cisaillement et des ondes, dépendent des conditions de forçage. Trois aspects ont été considérées: la déformation de surface engendré par la turbulence; les effets de la turbulence sur la propagation des ondes; et les effets de la turbulence sur des particules qui flottent à la surface. Concernant la déformation de surface : à mesure que l'on augmente l'intensité du forçage, l'écart type de la déformation augmente de façon linéaire, jusqu'à atteindre le 10% de l'épaisseur du fluide. Les déformations extrêmes peuvent atteindre la moitié de l'épaisseur. A faible forçage, la déformation de surface est principalement liée à la présence des tourbillons, impliquant une distribution de l'hauteur avec un facteur d'asymétrie négatif. Cette observation contraste avec la turbulence d'onde, où une asymétrie est aussi observée, mais avec un facteur d'asymétrie positif, notamment à cause des crêtes pointues dans les ondes de gravité. Le spectre en fréquence de la déformation présente une loi de puissance avec un exposant -5, similaire au spectre de singularité de Phillips. Ainsi, nous avons présenté les empreintes statistiques des tourbillons. Deuxièmement, nous avons considéré un autre aspect de la relation onde-écoulement turbulent : nous avons induit mécaniquement des ondes monochromatiques à la surface de l'écoulement. Lorsque l'écoulement deviens plus intense, nous avons mesure la décroissance et l'élargissement du mode associé à l'onde. Nous avons calculé une moyenne cohérente que souligne l'onde para rapport aux fluctuations turbulentes. Ceci nous permet d'observer la décroissance spatial de l'onde lorsque l'écoulement deviens plus intense. Ces analyses nous ont permit de quantifier une augmentation de l'atténuation des ondes à cause de la turbulence. Si l'on considère des particules qui flottent à la surface du liquide, on s'aperçoit qu'elles ont tendance à former des amas. Ce phénomène est confirmé par une analyse statistique des aires définies par la position des trois particules voisines. Ce faisant, on peut identifier clairement les particules qui appartiennent aux amas. De plus, ces particules présentent une corrélation très forte des vitesses et d'orientation angulaire. Plusieurs mécanismes physiques peuvent induire cette formation des amas: (i) l'inertie des particules ; (ii) des mouvements verticaux secondaires et ; (iii) la déformation de surface. Nous avons construit des quantités pour corréler les effets de concentration de particules avec ses mécanismes. Les corrélations plus importantes sont celles que concernent les mouvements verticaux secondaires, qui l'on interprète comme le mécanisme responsable des effets de concentration

N-Acetylcysteine Reduces Skeletal Muscles Oxidative Stress and Improves Grip Strength in Dysferlin-Deficient Bla/J Mice

Dysferlinopathy is an autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy resulting from mutations in the dysferlin gene. Absence of dysferlin in the sarcolemma and progressive muscle wasting are hallmarks of this disease. Signs of oxidative stress have been observed in skeletal muscles of dysferlinopathy patients, as well as in dysferlin-deficient mice. However, the contribution of the redox imbalance to this pathology and the efficacy of antioxidant therapy remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the effect of 10 weeks diet supplementation with the antioxidant agentN-acetylcysteine (NAC, 1%) on measurements of oxidative damage, antioxidant enzymes, grip strength and body mass in 6 months-old dysferlin-deficient Bla/J mice and wild-type (WT) C57 BL/6 mice. We found that quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles of Bla/J mice exhibit high levels of lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, which were significantly reduced by NAC supplementation. By using the Kondziela's inverted screen test, we further demonstrated that NAC improved grip strength in dysferlin deficient animals, as compared with non-treated Bla/J mice, without affecting body mass. Together, these results indicate that this antioxidant agent improves skeletal muscle oxidative balance, as well as muscle strength and/or resistance to fatigue in dysferlin-deficient animals.Comision Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (CONICYT) CONICYT FONDECYT 1160495 1151383 ICM-ANID, Chile P09-022-F Comision Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (CONICYT) FB0001 Millennium Scientific Initiative of the Ministerio de Economia, Fomento y Turism