Articles | Volume 18, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7251-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7251-2018
Research article
 | 
25 May 2018
Research article |  | 25 May 2018

Bridging the condensation–collision size gap: a direct numerical simulation of continuous droplet growth in turbulent clouds

Sisi Chen, Man-Kong Yau, Peter Bartello, and Lulin Xue

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Cited articles

Ayala, O., Rosa, B., Wang, L.-P., and Grabowski, W. W.: Effects of turbulence on the geometric collision rate of sedimenting droplets, Part 1 – Results from direct numerical simulation, New J. Phys., 10, 075015, http://stacks.iop.org/1367-2630/10/i=7/a=075015, 2008.
Baker, M., Corbin, R., and Latham, J.: The influence of entrainment on the evolution of cloud droplet spectra: I. A model of inhomogeneous mixing, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 106, 581–598, 1980.
Blyth, A. M., Lasher-Trapp, S. G., Cooper, W. A., Knight, C. A., and Latham, J.: The role of giant and ultragiant nuclei in the formation of early radar echoes in warm cumulus clouds, J. Atmos. Sci., 60, 2557–2572, 2003.
Brenguier, J.-L. and Chaumat, L.: Droplet Spectra Broadening in Cumulus Clouds. Part I: Broadening in Adiabatic Cores, J. Atmos. Sci., 58, 628–641, 2001.
Chen, S., Bartello, P., Yau, M. K., Vaillancourt, P. A., and Zwijsen, K.: Cloud Droplet Collisions in Turbulent Environment: Collision Statistics and Parameterization, J. Atmos. Sci., 73, 621–636, 2016.
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Short summary
This paper introduces a sophisticated approach to incorporate the droplet hydrodynamic collision and condensation processes into a single DNS modeling framework. Arguably, this model provides a sophisticated approach to study the warm-rain initiation problem that has puzzled the cloud physics community for decades. The results show the increased condensation-mediated collisions when turbulence intensifies, indicating a positive impact of turbulence on droplet condensational–collisional growth.
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