A Parametric Study of 3-D Simulation of Penetrative Convection

Abstract

We report on recent results from our ongoing programme of three dimensional numerical simulations of compressible convection to study the penetration of convection from the unstable layers into the surrounding stable layers (Singh, Roxburgh & Chan 1994,95,96,98). We adopt a simple 3 layer configuration of an unstable layer surrounded by two stable layers, and model the small scale motions using the Smagorinski sub-grid scale closure procedure. The goal of the investigation reported here was examine whether the numerical simulations satisfy the scaling relationship ▵ ∝ V3/2zo suggested by simple non-local eddy and plume models of convective penetration (Schmitt et al. 1984, Zahn 1991, Roxburgh 1997). ▵ is the penetration distance and Vzo the vertical velocity at the bottom of the unstable convective layer.