Decaying Turbulence in the Generalised Burgers Equation

Abstract

We consider the generalised Burgers equation $$\frac{\partial u}{\partial t} + f'(u)\frac{\partial u}{\partial x} - \nu \frac{\partial^2 u}{\partial x^2} = 0, \,\, t \geqq 0, \,\, x \in S^1,$$ ∂ u ∂ t + f ′ ( u ) ∂ u ∂ x - ν ∂ 2 u ∂ x 2 = 0 , t ≧ 0 , x ∈ S 1 , where f is strongly convex and ν is small and positive. We obtain sharp estimates for Sobolev norms of u (upper and lower bounds differ only by a multiplicative constant). Then, we obtain sharp estimates for the dissipation length scale and the small-scale quantities which characterise the decaying Burgers turbulence, i.e., the structure functions and the energy spectrum. The proof uses a quantitative version of an argument by Aurell etal. (J Fluid Mech 238:467-486, 1992). Note that we are dealing with decaying, as opposed to stationary turbulence. Thus, our estimates are not uniform in time. However, they hold on a time interval [T 1, T 2], where T 1 and T 2 depend only on f and the initial condition, and do not depend on the viscosity. These results allow us to obtain a rigorous theory of the one-dimensional Burgers turbulence in the spirit of Kolmogorov's 1941 theory. In particular, we obtain two results which hold in the inertial range. On one hand, we explain the bifractal behaviour of the moments of increments, or structure functions. On the other hand, we obtain an energy spectrum of the form k −2. These results remain valid in the inviscid limit