558 research outputs found
Intermittency in the large N-limit of a spherical shell model for turbulence
A spherical shell model for turbulence, obtained by coupling replicas of
the Gledzer, Okhitani and Yamada shell model, is considered. Conservation of
energy and of an helicity-like invariant is imposed in the inviscid limit. In
the limit this model is analytically soluble and is remarkably
similar to the random coupling model version of shell dynamics. We have studied
numerically the convergence of the scaling exponents toward the value predicted
by Kolmogorov theory (K41). We have found that the rate of convergence to the
K41 solution is linear in 1/N. The restoring of Kolmogorov law has been related
to the behaviour of the probability distribution functions of the instantaneous
scaling exponent.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, 3 Postscript figures, to be published on Europhys.
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Non-local interactions in hydrodynamic turbulence at high Reynolds numbers: the slow emergence of scaling laws
We analyze the data stemming from a forced incompressible hydrodynamic
simulation on a grid of 2048^3 regularly spaced points, with a Taylor Reynolds
number of Re~1300. The forcing is given by the Taylor-Green flow, which shares
similarities with the flow in several laboratory experiments, and the
computation is run for ten turnover times in the turbulent steady state. At
this Reynolds number the anisotropic large scale flow pattern, the inertial
range, the bottleneck, and the dissipative range are clearly visible, thus
providing a good test case for the study of turbulence as it appears in nature.
Triadic interactions, the locality of energy fluxes, and structure functions of
the velocity increments are computed. A comparison with runs at lower Reynolds
numbers is performed, and shows the emergence of scaling laws for the relative
amplitude of local and non-local interactions in spectral space. The scalings
of the Kolmogorov constant, and of skewness and flatness of velocity
increments, performed as well and are consistent with previous experimental
results. Furthermore, the accumulation of energy in the small-scales associated
with the bottleneck seems to occur on a span of wavenumbers that is independent
of the Reynolds number, possibly ruling out an inertial range explanation for
it. Finally, intermittency exponents seem to depart from standard models at
high Re, leaving the interpretation of intermittency an open problem.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
Lagrangian filtered density function for LES-based stochastic modelling of turbulent dispersed flows
The Eulerian-Lagrangian approach based on Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) is one
of the most promising and viable numerical tools to study turbulent dispersed
flows when the computational cost of Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) becomes
too expensive. The applicability of this approach is however limited if the
effects of the Sub-Grid Scales (SGS) of the flow on particle dynamics are
neglected. In this paper, we propose to take these effects into account by
means of a Lagrangian stochastic SGS model for the equations of particle
motion. The model extends to particle-laden flows the velocity-filtered density
function method originally developed for reactive flows. The underlying
filtered density function is simulated through a Lagrangian Monte Carlo
procedure that solves for a set of Stochastic Differential Equations (SDEs)
along individual particle trajectories. The resulting model is tested for the
reference case of turbulent channel flow, using a hybrid algorithm in which the
fluid velocity field is provided by LES and then used to advance the SDEs in
time. The model consistency is assessed in the limit of particles with zero
inertia, when "duplicate fields" are available from both the Eulerian LES and
the Lagrangian tracking. Tests with inertial particles were performed to
examine the capability of the model to capture particle preferential
concentration and near-wall segregation. Upon comparison with DNS-based
statistics, our results show improved accuracy and considerably reduced errors
with respect to the case in which no SGS model is used in the equations of
particle motion
A Multiresolution Census Algorithm for Calculating Vortex Statistics in Turbulent Flows
The fundamental equations that model turbulent flow do not provide much
insight into the size and shape of observed turbulent structures. We
investigate the efficient and accurate representation of structures in
two-dimensional turbulence by applying statistical models directly to the
simulated vorticity field. Rather than extract the coherent portion of the
image from the background variation, as in the classical signal-plus-noise
model, we present a model for individual vortices using the non-decimated
discrete wavelet transform. A template image, supplied by the user, provides
the features to be extracted from the vorticity field. By transforming the
vortex template into the wavelet domain, specific characteristics present in
the template, such as size and symmetry, are broken down into components
associated with spatial frequencies. Multivariate multiple linear regression is
used to fit the vortex template to the vorticity field in the wavelet domain.
Since all levels of the template decomposition may be used to model each level
in the field decomposition, the resulting model need not be identical to the
template. Application to a vortex census algorithm that records quantities of
interest (such as size, peak amplitude, circulation, etc.) as the vorticity
field evolves is given. The multiresolution census algorithm extracts coherent
structures of all shapes and sizes in simulated vorticity fields and is able to
reproduce known physical scaling laws when processing a set of voriticity
fields that evolve over time
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Spectral nonlocality, absolute equilibria and Kraichnan-Leith-Batchelor phenomenology in two-dimensional turbulent energy cascades
We study the degree to which Kraichnan–Leith–Batchelor (KLB) phenomenology describes two-dimensional energy cascades in α turbulence, governed by ∂θ/∂t+J(ψ,θ)=ν∇2θ+f, where θ=(−Δ)α/2ψ is generalized vorticity, and ψ^(k)=k−αθ^(k) in Fourier space. These models differ in spectral non-locality, and include surface quasigeostrophic flow (α=1), regular two-dimensional flow (α=2) and rotating shallow flow (α=3), which is the isotropic limit of a mantle convection model. We re-examine arguments for dual inverse energy and direct enstrophy cascades, including Fjørtoft analysis, which we extend to general α, and point out their limitations. Using an α-dependent eddy-damped quasinormal Markovian (EDQNM) closure, we seek self-similar inertial range solutions and study their characteristics. Our present focus is not on coherent structures, which the EDQNM filters out, but on any self-similar and approximately Gaussian turbulent component that may exist in the flow and be described by KLB phenomenology. For this, the EDQNM is an appropriate tool. Non-local triads contribute increasingly to the energy flux as α increases. More importantly, the energy cascade is downscale in the self-similar inertial range for 2.52.5 leads us to predict that any inverse cascade for α≥2.5 will not exhibit KLB phenomenology, and specifically the KLB energy spectrum. Numerical simulations confirm this: the inverse cascade energy spectrum for α≥2.5 is significantly steeper than the KLB prediction, while for α<2.5 we obtain the KLB spectrum
Magnetic Fields and Passive Scalars in Polyakov's Conformal Turbulence
Polyakov has suggested that two dimensional turbulence might be described by
a minimal model of conformal field theory. However, there are many minimal
models satisfying the same physical inputs as Polyakov's solution (p,q)=(2,21).
Dynamical magnetic fields and passive scalars pose different physical
requirements. For large magnetic Reynolds number other minimal models arise.
The simplest one, (p,q)=(2,13) makes reasonable predictions that may be tested
in the astrophysical context. In particular, the equipartition theorem between
magnetic and kinetic energies does not hold: the magnetic one dominates at
larger distances.Comment: 12 pages, UR-1296, ER-745-4068
Classical and quantum regimes of two-dimensional turbulence in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates
We investigate two-dimensional turbulence in finite-temperature trapped
Bose-Einstein condensates within damped Gross-Pitaevskii theory. Turbulence is
produced via circular motion of a Gaussian potential barrier stirring the
condensate. We systematically explore a range of stirring parameters and
identify three regimes, characterized by the injection of distinct quantum
vortex structures into the condensate: (A) periodic vortex dipole injection,
(B) irregular injection of a mixture of vortex dipoles and co-rotating vortex
clusters, and (C) continuous injection of oblique solitons that decay into
vortex dipoles. Spectral analysis of the kinetic energy associated with
vortices reveals that regime (B) can intermittently exhibit a Kolmogorov
power law over almost a decade of length or wavenumber () scales.
The kinetic energy spectrum of regime (C) exhibits a clear power law
associated with an inertial range for weak-wave turbulence, and a
power law for high wavenumbers. We thus identify distinct regimes of forcing
for generating either two-dimensional quantum turbulence or classical weak-wave
turbulence that may be realizable experimentally.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures. Minor updates to text and figures 1, 2 and
Anisotropy and non-universality in scaling laws of the large scale energy spectrum in rotating turbulence
Rapidly rotating turbulent flow is characterized by the emergence of columnar
structures that are representative of quasi-two dimensional behavior of the
flow. It is known that when energy is injected into the fluid at an
intermediate scale , it cascades towards smaller as well as larger scales.
In this paper we analyze the flow in the \textit{inverse cascade} range at a
small but fixed Rossby number, {}. Several
{numerical simulations with} helical and non-helical forcing functions are
considered in periodic boxes with unit aspect ratio. In order to resolve the
inverse cascade range with {reasonably} large Reynolds number, the analysis is
based on large eddy simulations which include the effect of helicity on eddy
viscosity and eddy noise. Thus, we model the small scales and resolve
explicitly the large scales. We show that the large-scale energy spectrum has
at least two solutions: one that is consistent with
Kolmogorov-Kraichnan-Batchelor-Leith phenomenology for the inverse cascade of
energy in two-dimensional (2D) turbulence with a {}
scaling, and the other that corresponds to a steeper {}
spectrum in which the three-dimensional (3D) modes release a substantial
fraction of their energy per unit time to 2D modes. {The spectrum that} emerges
{depends on} the anisotropy of the forcing function{,} the former solution
prevailing for forcings in which more energy is injected into 2D modes while
the latter prevails for isotropic forcing. {In the case of anisotropic forcing,
whence the energy} goes from the 2D to the 3D modes at low wavenumbers,
large-scale shear is created resulting in another time scale ,
associated with shear, {thereby producing} a spectrum for the
{total energy} with the 2D modes still following a {}
scaling
On the universality of small scale turbulence
The proposed universality of small scale turbulence is investigated for a set
of measurements in a cryogenic free jet with a variation of the Reynolds number
(Re) from 8500 to 10^6. The traditional analysis of the statistics of velocity
increments by means of structure functions or probability density functions is
replaced by a new method which is based on the theory of stochastic Markovian
processes. It gives access to a more complete characterization by means of
joint probabilities of finding velocity increments at several scales. Based on
this more precise method our results call in question the concept of
universality.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Characteristics of Two-Dimensional Quantum Turbulence in a Compressible Superfluid
Under suitable forcing a fluid exhibits turbulence, with characteristics
strongly affected by the fluid's confining geometry. Here we study
two-dimensional quantum turbulence in a highly oblate Bose-Einstein condensate
in an annular trap. As a compressible quantum fluid, this system affords a rich
phenomenology, allowing coupling between vortex and acoustic energy.
Small-scale stirring generates an experimentally observed disordered vortex
distribution that evolves into large-scale flow in the form of a persistent
current. Numerical simulation of the experiment reveals additional
characteristics of two-dimensional quantum turbulence: spontaneous clustering
of same-circulation vortices, and an incompressible energy spectrum with
dependence for low wavenumbers and dependence for high
.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures. Reference [29] updated for v
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