Our velocity measurements on a quasi-two-dimensional turbulent flow in a rapidly rotating annulus yield an inverse cascade with E(k)~k^{-2} rather than the expected E(k)~k^{-5/3}. The probability distribution functions for longitudinal velocity differences, δ_v(r)=v(x+r)-v(x), are self-similar (scale independent) but strongly non-Gaussian, which suggests that the coherent vortices play a significant role. The structure functions, <[δ_v(r)]^p>~r^{ζ_p}, exhibit anomalous scaling: ζ_p=p/2 rather than ζ_p=p/3 as in the 1941 Kolmogorov theory.
We consider equilibrium statistics for high Reynolds number isotropic turbulence in an incompressible flow driven by steady forcing at the largest scale. Motivated by shell model observations, we develop a similarity theory for the inertial range from clearly stated assumptions. In the right variables, the theory is scaling invariant, but in traditional variables it shows anomalous scaling. We obtain the underlying probability density function, the scaling exponents, and the coefficients for the structure functions. An inertial range length scale also emerges.
We report and discuss case study simulations of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the Boussinesq, incompressible regime developed to turbulence. Our main focus is on a statistical analysis of density and velocity fluctuations inside of the already developed and growing in size mixing zone. Novel observations reported in the manuscript concern self-similarity of the velocity and density fluctuations spectra inside of the mixing zone snapshot, independence of the spectra of the horizontal slice level, and universality showing itself in a virtual independence of the internal structure of the mix…
The anomalous scaling exponents $ζ_{n}$ of the longitudinal structure functions $S_{n}$ for homogeneous isotropic turbulence are derived from the Navier-Stokes equations by using field theoretic methods to develop a low energy approximation in which the Kolmogorov theory is shown to act effectively as a mean field theory. The corrections to the Kolmogorov exponents are expressed in terms of the anomalous dimensions of the composite operators which occur in the definition of $S_{n}$. These are calculated from the anomalous scaling of the appropriate class of nonlinear Green's function, using an…
We investigate through Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) the statistical properties of turbulent flows in the inertial subrange for non-Newtonian power-law fluids. The structural invariance found for the vortex size distribution is achieved through a self-organized mechanism at the microscopic scale of the turbulent motion that adjusts, according to the rheological properties of the fluid, the ratio between the viscous dissipations inside and outside the vortices. Moreover, the deviations from the K41 theory of the structure functions' exponents reveal that the anomalous scaling exhibits a sy…
Recent experiments demonstrate the importance of substrate curvature for actively forced fluid dynamics. Yet, the covariant formulation and analysis of continuum models for non-equilibrium flows on curved surfaces still poses theoretical challenges. Here, we introduce and study a generalized covariant Navier-Stokes model for fluid flows driven by active stresses in non-planar geometries. The analytical tractability of the theory is demonstrated through exact stationary solutions for the case of a spherical bubble geometry. Direct numerical simulations reveal a curvature-induced transition from…
The effect of large scales on the statistics and dynamics of turbulent fluctuations is studied using data from high resolution direct numerical simulations. Three different kinds of forcing, and spatial resolutions ranging from 256^3 to 1024^3, are being used. The study is carried out by investigating the nonlinear triadic interactions in Fourier space, transfer functions, structure functions, and probability density functions. Our results show that the large scale flow plays an important role in the development and the statistical properties of the small scale turbulence. The role of helicity…
In order to analyse results for structure functions, $S_n(r)$, we propose plotting the ratio $|S_n(r)/S_3(r)|$ against the separation $r$. This method differs from the extended self-similarity (ESS) technique, which plots $S_n(r)$ against $S_3(r)$, where $S_3(r) \sim r$. Using this method in conjunction with pseudospectral evaluation of structure functions, for the particular case of $S_2(r)$ we obtain the new result that the exponent $ζ_2$ decreases as the Taylor-Reynolds number increases, with $ζ_2 \to 0.67 \pm 0.02$ as $R_λ\to \infty$. This supports the idea of finite-viscosity corrections …
We show that multiscaling properties of developed turbulence in shell models, which lead to anomalous scaling exponents in the inertial range, are determined exclusively by instanton dynamics. Instantons represent correlated extreme events localized in space-time, whose structure is described by self-similar statistics with a single universal scaling exponent. We show that anomalous scaling exponents appear due to the process of instanton creation. A simplified model of instanton creation is suggested, which adequately describes this anomaly.
Momentum-scalar coupled turbulence with anomalous momentum and scalar diffusions. Part 2: With short-range external force and implementation in electrokinetic turbulence
State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Photoelectric Technology and Functional Materials and Application, Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology of Shaanxi Province, Institute of Photonics and Photon-technology, Northwest University（西北大学光子学与光子技术研究所）
We study the self-similarity and dissipation scalings of a turbulent planar jet and the theoretically implied mean flow scalings. Unlike turbulent wakes where such studies have already been carried out (Dairay et al. 2015; Obligado et al. 2016), this is a boundary- free turbulent shear flow where the local Reynolds number increases with distance from inlet. The Townsend-George theory revised by Dairay et al. (2015) is applied to turbulent planar jets. Only a few profiles need to be self-similar in this theory. The self- similarity of mean flow, turbulence dissipation, turbulent kinetic energy …
The original goal of Large Eddy Simulations of fully developed turbulent flows was to accurately describe large-scale flow features ${\bf u}(Δ)$ at the scales $r\geq Δ$ where $Δ$ is a size of computational mesh. The effect of small-scale velocity fluctuations ($r<Δ$) was to be accounted for by effective transport coefficients (subgrid models) in the coarse-grained Navier-Stokes equations. It is shown in this paper that, due to anomalous inertial range scaling (intermittency) of the moments of velocity difference, the existing subgrid models are intrinsically incapable of quantitatively describ…
Hydraulic jumps are oftentimes encountered in natural and human-made environments. The transition from supercritical to subcritical flow involves large energy dissipation rates and substantial air entrainment, preventing the use of monophasic flow measurement instrumentation. This paper presents an experimental study of a stable hydraulic jump with a Froude number of 4.25, utilizing novel intrusive phase-detection probe techniques and image-based velocimetry from a side perspective. Turbulence estimations were obtained for the impinging region and the roller region of the jump including Reynol…
Kolmogorov's similarity turbulence theory in a Lagrangian frame is assessed with new direct numerical simulations (DNS) of isotropic turbulence with and without hyperviscosity, which attain higher Reynolds numbers than previously available. It is demonstrated that hyperviscous simulations can be used to accurately predict second order Lagrangian velocity structure function (LVSF-2) in the inertial range. The results give strong support for Kolmogorov's Lagrangian similarity assumption and allow to compute the universal constant of the LVSF-2, which gives $C_0=7.5 \pm 0.2$, with a new level of …
We demonstrate that like in the forward cascade of three dimensional turbulence that displays intermittency (lack of self-similarity) due to the concentration of energy dissipation in a small set of fractal dimension less than three, the inverse cascade of two-dimensional turbulence can also display lack of self-similarity and intermittency if the energy injection is constrained in a fractal set of dimension less than two. A series of numerical simulations of two dimensional turbulence are examined, using different forcing functions of the same forcing length-scale but different fractal dimens…
In an earlier paper (Wan et al. 2012), the authors showed that a similarity solution for anisotropic incompressible 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, in the presence of a uniform mean magnetic field $\vB_0$, exists if the ratio of parallel to perpendicular (with respect to $\vB_0$) similarity length scales remains constant in time. This conjecture appears to be a rather stringent constraint on the dynamics of decay of the energy-containing eddies in MHD turbulence. However, we show here, using direct numerical simulations, that this hypothesis is indeed satisfied in incompressible MHD t…
In this work, we calculate the self-similar longitudinal velocity correlation function and the statistical properties of velocity difference using the results of the Lyapunov analysis of the fully developed isotropic homogeneous turbulence just presented by the author in a previous work (arXiv:0911.1463). There, a closure of the von Karman-Howarth equation is proposed and the statistics of velocity difference is determined through a specific analysis of the Fourier-transformed Navier-Stokes equations. The correlation functions correspond to steady-state solutions of the von Karman-Howarth equa…
Previous work has established the usefulness of the resolvent operator that maps the terms nonlinear in the turbulent fluctuations to the fluctuations themselves. Further work has described the self-similarity of the resolvent arising from that of the mean velocity profile. The orthogonal modes provided by the resolvent analysis describe the wall-normal coherence of the motions and inherit that self-similarity. In this contribution, we present the implications of this similarity for the nonlinear interaction between modes with different scales and wall-normal locations. By considering the nonl…
Shell models of turbulence have a finite-time blowup in the inviscid limit, i.e., the enstrophy diverges while the single-shell velocities stay finite. The signature of this blowup is represented by self-similar instantonic structures traveling coherently through the inertial range. These solutions might influence the energy transfer and the anomalous scaling properties empirically observed for the forced and viscous models. In this paper we present a study of the instantonic solutions for a set of four shell models of turbulence based on the exact decomposition of the Navier-Stokes equations …
We present an extension to Kolmogorov's refined similarity hypothesis for universal fully developed turbulence. The extension is applied within Z. She and E. Leveque's multifractal model of inertial range scaling and its generalizations. Our modification rectifies an apparent gap between the implicit continuum of length scales in Obukhov's conception of a turbulent energy cascade, and scaling law models derived from Kolmogorov's refined similarity hypothesis that lack infinite divisibility. The development has relevance to universal fully developed turbulence, a state we describe explicitly in…
We analyze multi-point correlation functions of a tracer in an incompressible flow at scales far exceeding the scale $L$ at which fluctuations are generated (quasi-equilibrium domain) and compare them with the correlation functions at scales smaller than $L$ (turbulence domain). We demonstrate that the scale invariance can be broken in the equilibrium domain and trace this breakdown to the statistical integrals of motion (zero modes) as has been done before for turbulence. Employing Kraichnan model of short-correlated velocity we identify the new type of zero modes, which break scale invarianc…
We propose a new approach to the old-standing problem of the anomaly of the scaling exponents of nonlinear models of turbulence. We achieve this by constructing, for any given nonlinear model, a linear model of passive advection of an auxiliary field whose anomalous scaling exponents are the same as the scaling exponents of the nonlinear problem. The statistics of the auxiliary linear model are dominated by `Statistically Preserved Structures' which are associated with exact conservation laws. The latter can be used for example to determine the value of the anomalous scaling exponent of the se…
Turbulence is known to show intermittency. That is, statistical properties vary with the length scale in a way not accounted for by statistical similarity where dimensionless ratios of moments are constant. Intermittency occurs even in the inertial range of isotropic turbulence, where physical intuition calls for a self-similar scale dependence. Perceived as a lack of overall scaling invariance, inertial range intermittency has become known as anomalous scaling. We present an analytic example demonstrating how anomalous scaling and self-similarity in the form of global scaling invariance can c…
We discuss on an example a general mechanism of apparition of anomalous scaling in scale invariant systems via zero modes of a scale invariant operator. We discuss the relevance of such mechanism in turbulence, and point out a peculiarity of turbulent flows, due to the existence of both forcing and dissipation. Following these considerations, we show that if this mechanism of anomalous scaling is operating in turbulence, the structure functions can be constructed by simple symmetry considerations. We find that the generical scale behavior of structure functions in the inertial range is not sel…
Differential models for hydrodynamic, passive-scalar and wave turbulence given by nonlinear first- and second-order evolution equations for the energy spectrum in the $k$-space were analysed. Both types of models predict formation an anomalous transient power-law spectra. The second-order models were analysed in terms of self-similar solutions of the second kind, and a phenomenological formula for the anomalous spectrum exponent was constructed using numerics for a broad range of parameters covering all known physical examples. The first-order models were examined analytically, including findi…
We study the time evolution of velocity and pressure gradients in isotropic turbulence, by quantifying their decorrelation time scales as one follows fluid particles in the flow. The Lagrangian analysis uses data in a public database generated using direct numerical simulation of the Naiver-Stokes equations, at a Reynolds number 430. It is confirmed that when averaging over the entire domain, correlation functions decay on timescales on the order of the mean Kolmogorov turnover time scale, computed from the globally averaged rate of dissipation and viscosity. However, when performing the analy…
Momentum-scalar coupled turbulence with anomalous momentum and scalar diffusions. Part 1: Without external force and with long-range external force
State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Photoelectric Technology and Functional Materials and Application, Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology of Shaanxi Province, Institute of Photonics and Photon-technology, Northwest University（西北大学光子与光子技术研究所）
We introduce a shell model of turbulence featuring intermittent behaviour with anomalous power-law scaling of structure functions. This model is solved analytically with the explicit derivation of anomalous exponents. The solution associates the intermittency with the hidden symmetry for Kolmogorov multipliers, making our approach relevant for real turbulence.
Bacterial swarms display intriguing dynamical states like active turbulence. Using a hydrodynamic model we now show that such dense active suspensions manifest super-diffusion, via Lévy walks, which masquerades as a crossover from ballistic to diffusive scaling in measurements of mean-squared-displacements, and is tied to the emergence of hitherto undetected oscillatory streaks in the flow. Thus, while laying the theoretical framework of an emergent advantageous strategy in the collective behaviour of microorganisms, our study underlines the essential differences between active and inertial tu…
Scaling in the dynamical properties of complex many-body systems has been of strong interest since turbulence phenomena became the subject of systematic mathematical studies. In this article, dynamical critical phenomena far from equilibrium are investigated with functional renormalisation group equations. The focus is set on scaling solutions of the stochastic driven-dissipative Burgers equation and their relation to solutions known in the literature for Burgers and Kardar-Parisi-Zhang dynamics. We furthermore relate superfluid as well as acoustic turbulence described by the Gross-Pitaevskii …
We present a theoretical attack on the classical problem of intermittency and anomalous scaling in turbulence. Our focus is on an ideal situation: high Reynolds number isotropic turbulence driven by steady large scale forcing. Moreover, the fluid is incompressible and no confining boundaries are present. We start from a good set of basis functions for the velocity field. These are real and divergence-free. To each wave-vector k in Fourier space there is one pair of basis functions with respectively left and right-handed polarity. Isotropy makes all k on the shell of constant |k| statistically …
By using new results from direct simulations of turbulent channels at moderate friction Reynolds numbers (Retau <= 1900) and in very large numerical boxes, we examine the corrections to the similarity assumptions in the overlap and outer regions of wall-bounded turbulence.
We propose an exact analytical formula for the anomalous scaling exponents of inertial range structure functions in incompressible fluid turbulence. The formula is a gravitational Knizhnik-Polyakov-Zamolodchikov (KPZ)-type relation, and is valid in any number of space dimensions. It incorporates intermittency by gravitationally dressing the Kolmogorov linear scaling via a coupling to a random geometry. The formula has one real parameter $γ$ that depends on the number of space dimensions. The scaling exponents satisfy the convexity inequality, and the supersonic bound constraint. They agree wit…
In the study of weakly turbulent wave systems possessing incomplete self-similarity it is possible to use dimensional arguments to derive the scaling exponents of the Kolmogorov-Zakharov spectra, provided the order of the resonant wave interactions responsible for nonlinear energy transfer is known. Furthermore one can easily derive conditions for the breakdown of the weak turbulence approximation. It is found that for incompletely self-similar systems dominated by three wave interactions, the weak turbulence approximation usually cannot break down at small scales. It follows that such systems…
Reduction of Triadic Interactions Suppresses Intermittency and Anomalous Dissipation in Turbulence
International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research（国际理论科学中心，塔塔基础研究所）；Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University（约翰斯·霍普金斯大学机械工程系）；Complex Fluids and Flows Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University（冲绳科学技术大学院大学复杂流体与流动单元）
Intermittency is a hallmark of turbulence, which exists not only in turbulent flows of classical viscous fluids but also in flows of quantum fluids such as superfluid $^4$He. Despite the established similarity between turbulence in classical fluids and quasi-classical turbulence in superfluid $^4$He, it has been predicted that intermittency in superfluid $^4$He is temperature dependent and enhanced for certain temperatures, which strikingly contrasts the nearly flow-independent intermittency in classical turbulence. Experimental verification of this theoretical prediction is challenging since …
Diverse processes rely on the viscous flow of polymer solutions through porous media. In many cases, the macroscopic flow resistance abruptly increases above a threshold flow rate in a porous medium---but not in bulk solution. The reason why has been a puzzle for over half a century. Here, by directly visualizing the flow in a transparent 3D porous medium, we demonstrate that this anomalous increase is due to the onset of an elastic instability. We establish that the energy dissipated by the unstable flow fluctuations, which vary across pores, generates the anomalous increase in flow resistanc…
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…
In turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard (RB) convection, a transition to the so-called ultimate regime, in which the boundary layers (BL) are of turbulent type, has been postulated. Indeed, at very large Rayleigh number $Ra \approx 10^{13}-10^{14}$ a transition in the scaling of the global Nusselt number $Nu$ (the dimensionless heat transfer) and the Reynolds number with $Ra$ has been observed in experiments and very recently in direct numerical simulations (DNS) of two-dimensional (2D) RB. In this paper we analyse the local scaling properties of the lateral temperature structure functions in the BLs of …
The problem of anomalous scaling in magnetohydrodynamics turbulence is considered within the framework of the kinematic approximation, in the presence of a large-scale background magnetic field. The velocity field is Gaussian, $δ$-correlated in time, and scales with a positive exponent $ξ$. Explicit inertial-range expressions for the magnetic correlation functions are obtained; they are represented by superpositions of power laws with non-universal amplitudes and universal (independent of the anisotropy and forcing) anomalous exponents. The complete set of anomalous exponents for the pair corr…
In wall-bounded turbulence, the moment generating functions (MGFs) of the streamwise velocity fluctuations $\left<\exp(qu_z^+)\right>$ develop power-law scaling as a function of the wall normal distance $z/δ$. Here $u$ is the streamwise velocity fluctuation, $+$ indicates normalization in wall units (averaged friction velocity), $z$ is the distance from the wall, $q$ is an independent variable and $δ$ is the boundary layer thickness. Previous work has shown that this power-law scaling exists in the log-region {\small $3Re_τ^{0.5}\lesssim z^+$, $z\lesssim 0.15δ$}, where $Re_τ$ is the friction v…
We present numerical calculations of the parameters $C_ν$, $C_ε$ and $C_κ$ associated with the common closures for turbulence production, dissipation and diffusion. In the case of homogeneous and isotropic turbulence, these parameters are expected to be statistically scale-invariant within the inertial subrange. In order to scrutinise this conjecture, we utilised a generalisation of the Germano filtering formalism, which is applicable to compressible flows as well. The filtering of data obtained from three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of forced isotropic turbulence with Mach number…
The main difficulty of statistical theories of fluid turbulence is the lack of an obvious small parameter. In this paper we show that the formerly established fusion rules can be employed to develop a theory in which Kolmogorov's statistics of 1941 acts as the zero order, or background statistics, and the anomalous corrections to the K41 scaling exponents $ζ_n$ of the $n$th order structure functions can be computed analytically. The crux of the method consists of renormalizing a 4-point interaction amplitude on the basis of the fusion rules. The novelty is that this amplitude includes a small …
First, we discuss the non-Gaussian type of self-similar solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations. We revisit a class of self-similar solutions which was studied in Canonne-Planchon (1996). In order to shed some light on it, we study self-similar solutions to the 1D Burgers equation in detail, completing the most general form of similarity profiles that it can possibly possess. In particular, on top of the well-known source-type solution we identify a kink-type solution. It is represented by one of the confluent hypergeometric functions, viz. Kummer's function $M.$ For the 2D Navier-Stokes equa…
We show that Lagrangian measurements in active turbulence bear imprints of turbulent and anomalous streaky hydrodynamics leading to a self-selection of persistent trajectories - Levy walks - over diffusive ones. This emergent dynamical heterogeneity results in a super-diffusive first passage distribution which could lead to biologically advantageous motility. We then go beyond single-particle statistics to show that for the pair-dispersion problem as well, active flows are at odds with inertial turbulence. Our study, we believe, will readily inform experiments in establishing the extent of uni…
We re-analyze the Olesen arguments on the self-similarity properties of freely evolving, nonhelical magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. We find that a necessary and sufficient condition for the kinetic and magnetic energy spectra to evolve self-similarly is that the initial velocity and magnetic field are not homogeneous functions of space of different degree, to wit, the initial energy spectra are not simple powers of the wavenumber with different slopes. If, instead, they are homogeneous functions of the same degree, the evolution is self-similar, it proceeds through selective decay, and the ord…
