Generalized statistical mechanics and fully developed turbulence

Abstract

The statistical properties of fully developed hydrodynamic turbulence can be successfully described using methods from nonextensive statistical mechanics. The predicted probability densities and scaling exponents precisely coincide with what is measured in various turbulence experiments. As a dynamical basis for nonextensive behaviour we consider nonlinear Langevin equations with fluctuating friction forces, where Tsallis statistics can be rigorously proved.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. To appear in Physica A (Proceedings of Statphys 21