FFD/RFD

[Caleb Routt]

So am I thinking wrong that the RFD tightens up the meso into producing a tonado cyclone then the tornado its self? I saw some place that the foward flank and rear flank actually work togeather to produce strong circulation

 

[James Gustina]

This paper on the Goshen County tornado from back in 2009 goes really deep into how a the RFD and a second RFD surge goes into tornadogenesis: http://www.cswr.org/MWR-FINAL-G1-Kosibaetal2012.pdf

The rain cooled air of the FFD does tend to get partially ingested into the updraft, but I'm not sure if it necessarily affects the microscale process of tornado cyclone formation.

 

[Skip Talbot]

RFD plays a critical role in tornadogenesis, and there's a lot of ongoing research on the topic. The recorded presentations from the 2012 Severe Local Storms conference talk a lot about the processes and current thinking:
https://ams.confex.com/ams/26SLS/webprogram/26SLS.html

A lot of the stuff is over my head, but it's still extremely fascinating. Hopefully 2014's conference which just concluded in Madison a few days ago will be up soon too.