9529295 Montgomery When an isolated vortex is subject to non-axisymmetric forcing, an adjustment process ensues. Adjustment consists of an excitation of gravity waves and shear waves, but surprisingly little is known about the near-field wave-mean flow interaction that accompanies it. A fundamental question in cyclone dynamics is the extent of the coupling between a large-scale vortex and small-scale excitations confined near the radius of maximum winds. In the realm of non-axisymmetric dynamics, a possibility exists for mean flow acceleration by sheared disturbances. Shear-induced acceleration represents an unexplored mechanism for vortex growth at subsynoptic scales that may contribute significantly to cyclone development in tropical cyclones and extratropical marine cyclones. In his recent work, the principal investigator (PI) identified and analyzed a class of vortex Rossby waves that owe their existence to the radial gradient of storm vorticity. The initial studies were done in a non-ditergent flow framework. The PI will now explore the impact of such waves on cyclone development under more realistic conditions. The focus of the new work will be on understanding and quantifying the impact of both vortex-Rossby waves and gravity-inertia waves on the near-field wave-mean flow dynamics accompanying the adjustment process. Investigative techniques will be both analytical and computational. ***
