Local transfer and spectra of a diffusive field advected by large-scale incompressible flows

This study revisits the problem of advective transfer and spectra of a diffusive scalar field in large-scale incompressible flows in the presence of a (large-scale) source. By ``large-scale'' it is meant that the spectral support of the flows is confined to the wave-number region $k<k_d$, where $k_d$ is relatively small compared with the diffusion wave number $k_\kappa$. Such flows mediate couplings between neighbouring wave numbers within $k_d$ of each other only. It is found that the spectral rate of transport (flux) of scalar variance across a high wave number $k>k_d$ is bounded from above by $Uk_dk\Theta(k,t)$, where $U$ denotes the maximum fluid velocity and $\Theta(k,t)$ is the spectrum of the scalar variance, defined as its average over the shell $(k-k_d,k+k_d)$. For a given flux, say $\vartheta>0$, across $k>k_d$, this bound requires $$\Theta(k,t)\ge \frac{\vartheta}{Uk_d}k^{-1}.$$ This is consistent with recent numerical studies and with Batchelor's theory that predicts a $k^{-1}$ spectrum (with a slightly different proportionality constant) for the viscous-convective range, which could be identified with $(k_d,k_\kappa)$. Thus, Batchelor's formula for the variance spectrum is recovered by the present method in the form of a critical lower bound. The present result applies to a broad range of large-scale advection problems in space dimensions $\ge2$, including some filter models of turbulence, for which the turbulent velocity field is advected by a smoothed version of itself. For this case, $\Theta(k,t)$ and $\vartheta$ are the kinetic energy spectrum and flux, respectively.Comment: 6 journal pages, 1 "cartoon" figure, to appear in PR

Enstrophy dissipation in freely evolving two-dimensional turbulence

Freely decaying two-dimensional Navier--Stokes turbulence is studied. The conservation of vorticity by advective nonlinearities renders a class of Casimirs that decays under viscous effects. A rigorous constraint on the palinstrophy production by nonlinear transfer is derived, and an upper bound for the enstrophy dissipation is obtained. This bound depends only on the decaying Casimirs, thus allowing the enstrophy dissipation to be bounded from above in terms of initial data of the flows. An upper bound for the enstrophy dissipation wavenumber is derived and the new result is compared with the classical dissipation wavenumber.Comment: No figures, Letter to appear in Phys. Fluid

Impeded inverse energy transfer in the Charney--Hasegawa--Mima model of quasi-geostrophic flows

The behaviour of turbulent flows within the single-layer quasi-geostrophic (Charney--Hasegawa--Mima) model is shown to be strongly dependent on the Rossby deformation wavenumber $\lambda$ (or free-surface elasticity). Herein, we derive a bound on the inverse energy transfer, specifically on the growth rate \d\ell/\dt of the characteristic length scale $\ell$ representing the energy centroid. It is found that \d\ell/\dt\le2\norm q_\infty/(\ell_s\lambda^2), where \norm q_\infty is the supremum of the potential vorticity and $\ell_s$ represents the potential enstrophy centroid of the reservoir, both invariant. This result implies that in the potential energy dominated regime ($\ell\ge\ell_s\gg\lambda^{-1}$), the inverse energy transfer is strongly impeded, in the sense that under the usual time scale no significant transfer of energy to larger scales occurs. The physical implication is that the elasticity of the free surface impedes turbulent energy transfer in wavenumber space, effectively rendering large-scale vortices long-lived and inactive. Results from numerical simulations of forced-dissipative turbulence confirm this prediction.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in JF

Large-scale energy spectra in surface quasi-geostrophic turbulence

The large-scale energy spectrum in two-dimensional turbulence governed by the surface quasi-geostrophic (SQG) equation $$\partial_t(-\Delta)^{1/2}\psi+J(\psi,(-\Delta)^{1/2}\psi) =\mu\Delta\psi+f$$ is studied. The nonlinear transfer of this system conserves the two quadratic quantities $\Psi_1=/2$ and $\Psi_2=/2$ (kinetic energy), where $$ denotes a spatial average. The energy density $\Psi_2$ is bounded and its spectrum $\Psi_2(k)$ is shallower than $k^{-1}$ in the inverse-transfer range. For bounded turbulence, $\Psi_2(k)$ in the low-wavenumber region can be bounded by $Ck$ where $C$ is a constant independent of $k$ but dependent on the domain size. Results from numerical simulations confirming the theoretical predictions are presented.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, to appear in JF

Effective degrees of nonlinearity in a family of generalized models of two-dimensional turbulence

We study the small-scale behavior of generalized two-dimensional turbulence governed by a family of model equations, in which the active scalar $\theta=(-\Delta)^{\alpha/2}\psi$ is advected by the incompressible flow $\u=(-\psi_y,\psi_x)$. The dynamics of this family are characterized by the material conservation of $\theta$, whose variance is preferentially transferred to high wave numbers. As this transfer proceeds to ever-smaller scales, the gradient $\nabla\theta$ grows without bound. This growth is due to the stretching term $(\nabla\theta\cdot\nabla)\u$ whose ``effective degree of nonlinearity'' differs from one member of the family to another. This degree depends on the relation between the advecting flow $\u$ and the active scalar $\theta$ and is wide ranging, from approximately linear to highly superlinear. Linear dynamics are realized when $\nabla\u$ is a quantity of no smaller scales than $\theta$, so that it is insensitive to the direct transfer of the variance of $\theta$, which is nearly passively advected. This case corresponds to $\alpha\ge2$, for which the growth of $\nabla\theta$ is approximately exponential in time and non-accelerated. For $\alpha<2$, superlinear dynamics are realized as the direct transfer of entails a growth in \nabla\u, thereby enhancing the production of $\nabla\theta$. This superlinearity reaches the familiar quadratic nonlinearity of three-dimensional turbulence at $\alpha=1$ and surpasses that for $\alpha<1$. The usual vorticity equation ($\alpha=2$) is the border line, where \nabla\u and $\theta$ are of the same scale, separating the linear and nonlinear regimes of the small-scale dynamics. We discuss these regimes in detail, with an emphasis on the locality of the direct transfer.Comment: 6 journal pages, to appear in Physical Review

Constraints on scalar diffusion anomaly in three-dimensional flows having bounded velocity gradients

This study is concerned with the decay behaviour of a passive scalar $\theta$ in three-dimensional flows having bounded velocity gradients. Given an initially smooth scalar distribution, the decay rate $d/dt$ of the scalar variance $$ is found to be bounded in terms of controlled physical parameters. Furthermore, in the zero diffusivity limit, $\kappa\to0$, this rate vanishes as $\kappa^{\alpha_0}$ if there exists an $\alpha_0\in(0,1]$ independent of $\kappa$ such that $<\infty$ for $\alpha\le\alpha_0$. This condition is satisfied if in the limit $\kappa\to0$, the variance spectrum $\Theta(k)$ remains steeper than $k^{-1}$ for large wave numbers $k$. When no such positive $\alpha_0$ exists, the scalar field may be said to become virtually singular. A plausible scenario consistent with Batchelor's theory is that $\Theta(k)$ becomes increasingly shallower for smaller $\kappa$, approaching the Batchelor scaling $k^{-1}$ in the limit $\kappa\to0$. For this classical case, the decay rate also vanishes, albeit more slowly -- like $(\ln P_r)^{-1}$, where $P_r$ is the Prandtl or Schmidt number. Hence, diffusion anomaly is ruled out for a broad range of scalar distribution, including power-law spectra no shallower than $k^{-1}$. The implication is that in order to have a $\kappa$-independent and non-vanishing decay rate, the variance at small scales must necessarily be greater than that allowed by the Batchelor spectrum. These results are discussed in the light of existing literature on the asymptotic exponential decay $\sim e^{-\gamma t}$, where $\gamma>0$ is independent of $\kappa$.Comment: 6-7 journal pages, no figures. accepted for publication by Phys. Fluid

Velocity-pressure correlation in Navier-Stokes flows and the problem of global regularity

Funding: Yu is supported by an NSERC Discovery grant.Incompressible fluid flows are characterised by high correlations between low pressure and high velocity and vorticity. The velocity-pressure correlation is an immediate consequence of fluid acceleration towards low pressure regions. On the other hand, fluid converging to a low pressure centre is driven sideways by a resistance due to incompressibility, giving rise to the formation of a strong vortex, hence the vorticity-pressure correlation. Meanwhile, the formation of such a vortex effectively shields the low pressure centre from incoming energetic fluid. As a result, a local pressure minimum can usually be found at the centre of a vortex where the vorticity is greatest but the velocity is relatively low,hence the misalignment of local pressure minima and velocity maxima. For Navier--Stokes flows, this misalignment has profound implications on extreme momentum growth and maintenance of regularity. This study examines the role of the velocity-pressure correlation on the problem of Navier--Stokes global regularity. On the basis of estimates for flows locally satisfying the critical scaling of the Navier--Stokes system, a qualitative theory of this correlation is considered. The theory appears to be readily quantified, advanced and tested by theoretical, mathematical and numerical methods. Regularity criteria depending on the degree of the velocity-pressure correlation are presented and discussed in light of the above theory. The result suggests that as long as global pressure minimum (or minima) and velocity maximum (or maxima) are mutually exclusive, then regularity is likely to persist. This is the first result that makes use of an explicit measure of the velocity-pressure correlation as a key factor in the maintenance of regularity or development of singularity.PreprintPublisher PDFPeer reviewe

Note on Prodi-Serrin-Ladyzhenskaya type regularity criteria for the Navier-Stokes equations

X.Y. is partially supported by the Discovery Grant No. RES0020476 from NSERC.In this article we prove new regularity criteria of the Prodi-Serrin-Ladyzhenskaya type for the Cauchy problem of the three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. Our results improve the classical Lr(0,T;Ls) regularity criteria for both velocity and pressure by factors of certain nagative powers of the scaling invariant norms ||u||L3 and ||u||H1/2.PostprintPeer reviewe