We use direct numerical simulations to compute structure functions, scaling exponents, probability density functions and turbulent transport coefficients of passive scalars in turbulent rotating helical and non-helical flows. We show that helicity affects the inertial range scaling of the velocity and of the passive scalar when rotation is present, with a spectral law consistent with $\sim k_{\perp}^{-1.4}$ for the passive scalar variance spectrum. This scaling law is consistent with the phenomenological argument presented in \cite{imazio2011} for rotating non-helical flows, wich states that if energy follows a $E(k)\sim k^{-n}$ law, then the passive scalar variance follows a law $V(k) \sim k^{-n_θ}$ with $n_θ=(5-n)/2$. With the second order scaling exponent obtained from this law, and using the Kraichnan model, we obtain anomalous scaling exponents for the passive scalar that are in good agreement with the numerical results. Intermittency of the passive scalar is found to be stronger than in the non-helical rotating case, a result that is also confirmed by stronger non-Gaussian tails in the probability density functions of field increments. Finally, Fick's law is used to compute the effective diffusion coefficients in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the rotation axis. Calculations indicate that horizontal diffusion decreases in the presence of helicity in rotating flows, while vertical diffusion increases. We use a mean field argument to explain this behavior in terms of the amplitude of velocity field fluctuations.
We derive scaling relations for the thermal dissipation rate in the bulk and in the boundary layers for moderate and large Prandtl number (Pr) convection. Using direct numerical simulations of Rayleigh-Bénard convection, we show that the thermal dissipation in the bulk is suppressed compared to passive scalar dissipation. The suppression is stronger for large Pr. We further show that the dissipation in the boundary layers dominates that in the bulk for both moderate and large Pr. The probability distribution functions of thermal dissipation rate, both in the bulk and in the boundary layers, ar…
We present a theoretical and numerical study of Fourier space triad phase dynamics in one-dimensional stochastically forced Burgers equation at Reynolds number $\mathrm{Re} \approx 2.7 \times 10^4$. We demonstrate that Fourier triad phases over the inertial range display a collective behaviour characterised by intermittent periods of synchronisation and alignment, reminiscent of Kuramoto model (Kuramoto 1984) and directly related to collisions of shocks in physical space. These periods of synchronisation favour efficient energy fluxes across the inertial range towards small scales, resulting i…
The dynamics of two-dimensional three-component (2D3C) flows is relevant to describe the long-time evolution of strongly rotating flows and/or of conducting fluids with a strong mean magnetic field. We show that in the presence of a strong helical forcing, the out-of-plane component ceases to behave as a passive advected quantity and develops a nontrivial dynamics which deeply changes its large-scale properties. We show that a small-scale helicity injection correlates the input on the 2D component with the one on the out-of-plane component. As a result, the third component develops a non-trivi…
An efficient approach for extracting 3D local averages in spherical subdomains is proposed and applied to study the intermittency of small-scale velocity and scalar fields in direct numerical simulations of isotropic turbulence. We focus on the inertial-range scaling exponents of locally averaged energy dissipation rate, enstrophy and scalar dissipation rate corresponding to the mixing of a passive scalar $θ$ in the presence of a uniform mean gradient. The Taylor-scale Reynolds number $R_λ$ goes up to $1300$, and the Schmidt number $Sc$ up to $512$ (albeit at smaller $R_λ$). The intermittency …
The notion of helical distributed chaos has been used for the description of the spatio-temporal dynamics of the passive scalar tracers from the atmospheric surface layer up to the mesosphere (at different stability conditions and different latitudes). Point, linear and distributed sources and sinks with different types of artificial and natural trace-gases (ozone, carbon dioxide, etc.), and aerosols have been studied. Related properties of the solar radiation transmittance in the cloudy atmosphere have been also briefly discussed as well as analogous properties of the tracers in Jupiter's atm…
Statistical properties of $d$-dimensional incompressible flows with and without cylindrical reduction are studied, leading to several explanations and conjectures about turbulent flows and passive scalars, such as the de-correlation between the flow and scalar, reduction of passive scalar intermittency in the bottleneck regime, et al. The absolute-equilibrium analyses assure the correctness of a recent numerical result. It is implied that passive scalar(s) in two-dimensional (2D) space can be fundamentally different to those in $d>2$, concerning the correlations with the flow, which is not con…
The intermittency of a passive scalar advected by three-dimensional Navier-Stokes turbulence at a Taylor-scale Reynolds number of $650$ is studied using direct numerical simulations on a $4096^3$ grid; the Schmidt number is unity. By measuring scalar increment moments of high orders, while ensuring statistical convergence, we provide unambiguous evidence that the scaling exponents saturate to $1.2$ for moment order beyond about $12$, indicating that scalar intermittency is dominated by the most singular shock-like cliffs in the scalar field. We show that the fractal dimension of the spatial su…
Quantum many-body framework for passive-scalar turbulence
State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences(中国科学院力学研究所非线性力学国家重点实验室);School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences(中国科学院大学工程科学学院)
We investigate the connection between the inertial range and the dissipation range statistics of rotating turbulence through detailed simulations of a helical shell model and a multifractal analysis. In particular, by using the latter, we find an explicit relation between the (anomalous) scaling exponents of equal-time structure functions in the inertial range in terms of the generalised dimensions associated with the energy dissipation rate. This theoretical prediction is validated by detailed simulations of a helical shell model for various strengths of rotation from where the statistics of …
The dynamics of a passive scalar plume in a turbulent boundary layer is experimentally investigated via vertical turbulent transport time-series. Data are acquired in a rough-wall turbulent boundary layer that develops in a recirculating wind tunnel set-up. Two source sizes in an elevated position are considered in order to investigate the influence of the emission conditions on the plume dynamics. The analysis is focused on the effects of the meandering motion and the relative dispersion. First, classical statistics are investigated. We found that (in accordance with previous studies) the mea…
The temporal statistics of incompressible fluid velocity and passive scalar fields in developed turbulent conditions is investigated by means of direct numerical simulations along the trajectories of self-propelled point-like probes drifting in a flow. Such probes are characterised by a propulsion velocity which is fixed in intensity and direction; however, like vessels in a flow they are continuously deviated by their intended course as the result of local sweeping of the fluid flow. The recorded time-series by these moving probes represent the simplest realisation of transect measurements in…
CORIA – CNRS UMR 6614(CORIA – 法国国家科学研究中心 UMR 6614);UM-SJTU Joint Institute, Shanghai JiaoTong University(上海交通大学上海交大大密西根学院);Juelich Supercomputing Center(于利希超级计算中心);RWTH Aachen University(亚琛工业大学)
The self-similarity of a passive scalar in homogeneous isotropic decaying turbulence is investigated by the method of line segments (M. Gauding et al., Physics of Fluids 27.9 (2015): 095102). The analysis is based on a highly resolved direct numerical simulation of decaying turbulence. The method of line segments is used to perform a decomposition of the scalar field into smaller sub-units based on the extremal points of the scalar along a straight line. These sub-units (the so-called line segments) are parameterized by their length $\ell$ and the difference $Δϕ$ of the scalar field between th…