Robert Edmonds
EF5
I am currently taking classes as apart of being a graduate student at NMSU. While I am working towards an astronomy PhD (in a few years), I decided that despite not currently doing research in atmospheres, that I would like take a planetary atmosphere's class. The class will not be completely centered on earth, since allot of the people in my class study the atmosphere's of mars and the gas giants. So far just a week in, I am enjoying it... fun to think of what the lapse rates of Jupiter or Mars is.
Anyhow, at the end of the year we need to develop some sort of computer model. Nothing too over the top, since they're not emphasizing the modeling. The professors suggested using something that you already use in your research. Given that I don't do research in the area... I have a little wider range in what I may end up doing.
I have made some code in MATLAB, that I have been playing with since fall. However, I have had many challenges with it. Being ambitious when I started, I began in 3d. Noticing this is quite computationally challenging for my desktop I switched to 2d. I also had tried to allow every variable to change (P, T, vapor density, air density). During the runs I have been haunted by large gravitational waves forming, and other computational instability. However, I did have brief success, and was able to form a cloud from a region of air that that had had a higher potential temperature, before the model went hay wire.
Because of all of these difficulties I was thinking of going more back towards the basics. Since gravity has been a pain, since even in 2d I always kept the vertical component, I was thinking of perhaps playing in 2d but with N-S, E-W grid. Also, perhaps keeping it isothermal. However, it doesn't seem like you could make as much fun stuff from such a model. Therefore I wanted to ask you guys. What would you think be fun to model? If the model requires the vertical axis, do you have an suggestions to mitigate gravity waves from forming? Thanks for any suggestions.
P.S. For a non planetary model, I was thinking modeling the collapse of interstellar gas may be interesting, but I need to do a little more research before deciding. Also, not sure if this would be a good model for a planetary atmosphere class.
Anyhow, at the end of the year we need to develop some sort of computer model. Nothing too over the top, since they're not emphasizing the modeling. The professors suggested using something that you already use in your research. Given that I don't do research in the area... I have a little wider range in what I may end up doing.
I have made some code in MATLAB, that I have been playing with since fall. However, I have had many challenges with it. Being ambitious when I started, I began in 3d. Noticing this is quite computationally challenging for my desktop I switched to 2d. I also had tried to allow every variable to change (P, T, vapor density, air density). During the runs I have been haunted by large gravitational waves forming, and other computational instability. However, I did have brief success, and was able to form a cloud from a region of air that that had had a higher potential temperature, before the model went hay wire.
Because of all of these difficulties I was thinking of going more back towards the basics. Since gravity has been a pain, since even in 2d I always kept the vertical component, I was thinking of perhaps playing in 2d but with N-S, E-W grid. Also, perhaps keeping it isothermal. However, it doesn't seem like you could make as much fun stuff from such a model. Therefore I wanted to ask you guys. What would you think be fun to model? If the model requires the vertical axis, do you have an suggestions to mitigate gravity waves from forming? Thanks for any suggestions.
P.S. For a non planetary model, I was thinking modeling the collapse of interstellar gas may be interesting, but I need to do a little more research before deciding. Also, not sure if this would be a good model for a planetary atmosphere class.
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