Corso di laurea in Fisica

The course is aimed to give the physical-mathematical bases which regulate the behavior of the terrestrial atmosphere, pointing out on the phenomena connected to the stability (also by the point of view of the pollution), on the thermodynamic transformations, on the hygrometric variables and on the dynamics, pointing out on the different contribution of the forces involved in the dynamics of the atmosphere. A special section introduces the dimensional analysis and the similarity theory.

After the course the student will be able to understand the physical processes which regulate the statics, the dynamics and the thermodynamics of the atmosphere, and to manage the main equations on which such disciplines are based. The student will also possess the necessary physical-mathematical background indispensable to successfully face arguments like the meteorology or the study of the boundary layer turbulence.

• https://unito.webex.com/meet/claudio.cassardo (Prof. Claudio Cassardo)
  
• https://unito.webex.com/meet/enrico.arnone (Prof. Enrico Arnone)

Eventual visits to laboratories or other experimental locations. Performing simple experiments in the classroom.

Conferences held by Prof. Cassardo on the topics: climate change, meteorology.

Introduction. Eulerian and Lagrangian representation. Formation of the earth and its evolution. Atmospheric regions. Forces acting on the static atmosphere. Hydrostatic equilibrium. Equation of state for dry air. Equation of state for the actual air. Conventional temperatures: the virtual temperature. Gravitational potential energy. The geopotential. Barometric general formulations and scaling heights of the atmosphere. Various simplifications of atmosphere: homogeneous, isotherm, politropic. General barometric formula. Representations in pressure coordinates. Scale heights. Isentropic coordinates. Hygrometric variables. Thermodynamic transformations. Cyclical transformations. Isentropic processes. First principle of thermodynamics for the atmosphere. Reversible adiabatic transformations for saturated air. Potential temperature. Stability of the non-saturated atmosphere. First law of thermodynamics for adiabatic saturated processes in the atmosphere. Clapeyron equation. Infinitesimal adiabatic transformations for saturated air. Pseudo-adiabatic processes. Atmospheric stability for saturated and
not saturated adiabatic processes. Conventional temperatures. The atmospheric stability with the model of the layer. Convective instability and stability. The main real forces in the moving atmosphere. The apparent forces in the atmosphere. Uniform rotation relative motion. Reference systems non-inertial. Local coordinates. Vector equation of motion on the rotating Earth. Equation of motion in polar coordinates. Geostrophic approximation. Hydrostatic approximation. The equation of continuity. Equation of conservation of thermodynamic energy. Analysis of scale of the equations of conservation of momentum, mass and energy, thermodynamics, equation of continuity, equation of thermodynamics. Equations of dynamics in isobaric coordinates. Natural coordinates. Geostrophic flow.
Ciclostrophic flow. gradient Wind. Barocline and barotropic atmosphere: thermal wind. The vorticity. Circulation. The Kelvin theorem of the circulation. The dynamic equation of the vorticity. The potential vorticity. Law of conservation of the potential vorticity. Equation of the vertical component of the vorticity and its scale analysis. Dimensional analysis. Dynamic similarity and similarity theory. Physical models.

Copies of the slides plus additional documents containing the description of topics covered in the lessons and applications will be given. All material will be posted on the Moodle platform, not here. 

NOTICE: the videos of the previous year's recorded lessons of Physics of the Atmosphere is available on Moodle, searching for them by selecting the academic year and the code or name of the course. We will try to make this year's video recordings available as well.