Velocity Structure Functions Research Articles

Turbulent power spectrum in warm and cold neutral medium using the Galactic H i21 cm emission

Small-scale fluctuations of different tracers of the interstellar the medium can be used to study the nature of turbulence in astrophysical scales. Of these, the `continuum' emission traces the fluctuations integrated along the line of sight whereas, the spectral line tracers give the information along different velocity channels as well. Recently, Miville-Desch\^enes et al. (2016) have measured the intensity fluctuation power spectrum of the continuum dust emission, and found a power law behaviour with a power law index of $-2.9 \pm 0.1$ for a region of our Galaxy. Here, we study the same region using high-velocity resolution 21-cm emission from the diffuse neutral medium, and estimate the power spectrum at different spectral channels. The measured 21-cm power spectrum also follows a power law, however, we see a significant variation in the power law index with velocity. The value of the power-law index estimated from the integrated map for different components are quite different which is indicative of the different nature of turbulence depending on temperature, density and ionization fraction. We also measure the power spectra after smoothing the 21 cm emission to velocity resolution ranging from $1.03$ to $13.39~{\rm km~s^{-1}}$, but the power spectrum remains unchanged within the error bar. This indicates that the observed fluctuations are dominantly due to density fluctuations, and we can only constrain the power-law index of velocity structure function of $0.0 \pm 1.1$ which is consistent with the predicted Kolmogorov turbulence $(\gamma=2/3)$ and also with a shock-dominated medium $(\gamma=1.0)$.

Intermittency enhancement in quantum turbulence in superfluidHe4

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 it requires well-controlled generation of quantum turbulence in $^4$He and flow measurement tools with high spatial and temporal resolution. Here, we report an experimental study of quantum turbulence generated by towing a grid through a stationary sample of superfluid $^4$He. The decaying turbulent quantum flow is probed by combining a recently developed He$^*_2$ molecular tracer-line tagging velocimetry technique and a traditional second sound attenuation method. We observe quasi-classical decays of turbulent kinetic energy in the normal fluid and of vortex line density in the superfluid component. For several time instants during the decay, we calculate the transverse velocity structure functions. Their scaling exponents, deduced using the extended self-similarity hypothesis, display non-monotonic temperature-dependent intermittency enhancement, in excellent agreement with recent theoretical/numerical study of Biferale et al. [Phys. Rev. Fluids 3, 024605 (2018)].

A Structure Function Model Recovers the Many Formulations for Air‐Water Gas Transfer Velocity

AbstractTwo ideas regarding the structure of turbulence near a clear air‐water interface are used to derive a waterside gas transfer velocity kL for sparingly and slightly soluble gases. The first is that kL is proportional to the turnover velocity described by the vertical velocity structure function Dww(r), where r is separation distance between two points. The second is that the scalar exchange between the air‐water interface and the waterside turbulence can be suitably described by a length scale proportional to the Batchelor scale lB=ηSc−1/2, where Sc is the molecular Schmidt number and η is the Kolmogorov microscale defining the smallest scale of turbulent eddies impacted by fluid viscosity. Using an approximate solution to the von Kármán‐Howarth equation predicting Dww(r) in the inertial and viscous regimes, prior formulations for kL are recovered including (i) , vK is the Kolmogorov velocity defined by the Reynolds number vKη/ν = 1 and ν is the kinematic viscosity of water; (ii) surface divergence formulations; (iii) , where u∗ is the waterside friction velocity; (iv) for Keulegan numbers exceeding a threshold needed for long‐wave generation, where the proportionality constant varies with wave age, g is the gravitational acceleration; and (v) in free convection, where qo is the surface heat flux and βo is the thermal expansion of water. The work demonstrates that the aforementioned kL formulations can be recovered from a single structure function model derived for locally homogeneous and isotropic turbulence.

Exact result for mixed triple two-point correlations of velocity and velocity gradients in isotropic turbulence

ABSTRACTOn the grounds of Kolmogorov's 4/5 law analytical relations for triple two-point correlations of velocity and velocity gradients in homogeneous isotropic incompressible turbulence are derived. The corresponding correlation tensor can be expressed in terms of dissipation ε, the second-order longitudinal velocity structure function and one more scalar function of distance between the points. However, some components of the tensor do not depend on . The derived analytical results are in agreement with the data obtained from direct numerical simulations. The function can be well approximated in the inertial range by a constant value that depends on the dissipation ε only. The application of the obtained correlators in the turbulent transport theory is discussed.

Statistics of Heat Transfer in Two-Dimensional Turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard Convection at Various Prandtl Number.

Statistics of heat transfer in two-dimensional (2D) turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard (RB) convection for and are investigated using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Our results reveal that the large scale circulation is gradually broken up into small scale structures plumes with the increase of , the large scale circulation disappears with increasing , and a great deal of smaller thermal plumes vertically rise and fall from the bottom to top walls. It is further indicated that vertical motion of various plumes gradually plays main role with increasing . In addition, our analysis also shows that the thermal dissipation is distributed mainly in the position of high temperature gradient, the thermal dissipation rate already increasingly plays a dominant position in the thermal transport, can have no effect with increase of . The kinematic viscosity dissipation rate and the thermal dissipation rate gradually decrease with increasing . The energy spectrum significantly decreases with the increase of . A scope of linear scaling arises in the second order velocity structure functions, the temperature structure function and mixed structure function(temperature-velocity). The value of linear scaling and the 2nd-order velocity decrease with increasing , which is qualitatively consistent with the theoretical predictions.

A Closure for Isotropic Turbulence Based on Extended Scale Similarity Theory in Physical Space

The closure of a turbulence field is a longstanding fundamental problem, while most closure models are introduced in spectral space. Inspired by Chou’s quasi-normal closure method in spectral space, we propose an analytical closure model for isotropic turbulence based on the extended scale similarity theory of the velocity structure function in physical space. The assumptions and certain approximations are justified with direct numerical simulation. The asymptotic scaling properties are reproduced by this new closure method, in comparison to the classical Batchelor model.

MULTIFRACTAL CASCADE SYMMETRY MODEL FOR FULLY DEVELOPED TURBULENCE

We report a symmetry model for turbulence intermittency. This is obtained by the compositions of continuous symmetry group transformations of statistical turbulent spectral equation at infinite Reynolds number limit. Flow evolution under group compositions yields velocity structure function exponents that depend on the dilation symmetry group parameter [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] and a random parameter [Formula: see text]. The random parameter [Formula: see text] is associated with energy distribution. Since the correction to the space-filling Kolmogorov cascade is small, the value of [Formula: see text]. The asymptotic structures are filaments having dimension one, so [Formula: see text] is found to be related with [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text]. The present model therefore depends only on [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] can be ascertained uniquely for [Formula: see text]. It is found that the velocity structure function exponents [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] in present symmetry model agree well with the existing experimental, direct numerical simulation results and different phenomenological models for [Formula: see text]. For these values of [Formula: see text], the correction to Kolmogorov space-filling, universal [Formula: see text] law, belongs to the range [Formula: see text], and the fractal dimension for the support set lies in [Formula: see text].

Flexible Fiber Reveals the Two-Point Statistical Properties of Turbulence.

We study the dynamics of a flexible fiber freely moving in a three-dimensional fully developed turbulent field and present a phenomenological theory to describe the interaction between the fiber elasticity and the turbulent flow. This theory leads to the identification of two distinct regimes of flapping, which we validate against direct numerical simulations fully resolving the fiber dynamics. The main result of our analysis is the identification of a flapping regime where the fiber, despite its elasticity, is slaved to the turbulent fluctuations. In this regime the fiber can be used to measure two-point statistical observables of turbulence, including scaling exponents of velocity structure functions, the sign of the energy cascade and the energy flux of turbulence, as well as the characteristic times of the eddies within the inertial range of scales. Our results are expected to have a deep impact on the experimental turbulence research as a new way, accurate and efficient, to measure two-point, and more generally multipoint, statistics of turbulence.

Turbulent energy dissipation rate modification due to particle insertion: Effect of Reynolds number

A hierarchical spatiotemporal dynamical system model (tree model), modified for the insertion of dispersed phase particle, is utilized to study the turbulence modulation caused by the presence of particle in high Reynolds numbers. The focus in this study is to see how the energy dissipation rate is escalated in the vicinity of particle surface. In the present study, shell model simulations are performed for two different Reynolds numbers, i.e. Re∼1/ν, as 5 × 104 and 106, corresponding to two particle sizes of 256 and 64 times of the Kolmogorov length scale, respectively. The results are compared to the corresponding unladen cases, as well as the lower Reynolds number of 104. The scaling properties of the modified tree model are assessed through the velocity structure functions, which reveals the existence of intermittency.

One-point and two-point statistics of homogeneous isotropic decaying turbulence with variable viscosity

The decay of homogeneous isotropic turbulence in a variable viscosity fluid with a viscosity ratio up to 15 is analyzed by means of highly resolved direct numerical simulations (DNS) at low Reynolds numbers. The question addressed by the present work is how quantities such as the kinetic energy and the associated dissipation rate, as well as the inter-scale transport mechanism of turbulence are changed by local fluctuations of the viscosity. The comparison is performed with respect to the decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence with constant viscosity (CV), equal to the mean value of the variable viscosity (VV). From the one-point budget equation of the turbulent kinetic energy, it is shown that the mean dissipation rate is nearly unchanged by variable viscosity effects. This result is explained by a negative correlation between the local viscosity and the local velocity gradients. However, the dissipation is a highly fluctuating quantity with a strong level of intermittency. From a statistical analysis it is shown that turbulent flows with variable viscosity are characterized by an enhanced level of small-scale intermittency with respect to CV flow, which results in the presence of smaller length scales. The effect of variable viscosity on the turbulent cascade is analyzed by a budget equation for the velocity structure function. From DNS it is shown that viscosity gradients contribute to the inter-scale transport mechanism in the form of an inverse transport, where information propagates from the small scales to the large scales.

Theory of energy spectra in superfluid He4 counterflow turbulence

In the thermally driven superfluid He-4 turbulence, the counterflow velocity $U_{\rm ns}$ partially decouples the normal and superfluid turbulent velocities. Recently we suggested [J. Low Temp. Phys. 187, 497 (2017)] that this decoupling should tremendously increase the turbulent energy dissipation by mutual friction and significantly suppress the energy spectra. Comprehensive measurements of the apparent scaling exponent nexp of the 2nd-order normal fluid velocity structure function $S_2(r)\propto r^{n_{\rm exp}}$ in the counterflow turbulence [Phys.Rev.B 96, 094511 (2017)] confirmed our scenario of gradual dependence of the turbulence statistics on the flow parameters. We develop an analytical theory of the counterflow turbulence, accounting for a twofold mechanism of this phenomenon: i) a scale-dependent competition between the turbulent velocity coupling by the mutual friction and the $U_{\rm ns}$-induced turbulent velocity decoupling and ii) the turbulent energy dissipation by the mutual friction enhanced by the velocity decoupling. The suggested theory predicts the energy spectra for a wide range of flow parameters. The mean exponents of the normal fluid energy spectra $\langle m_n\rangle_{10}$, found without fitting parameters, qualitatively agree with the observed $n_{\rm exp} + 1$ for $T\gtrsim 1.85$K

A modified optimal LES model for highly compressible isotropic turbulence

An energy budget analysis and a posteriori tests of subgrid-scale (SGS) models for large eddy simulation (LES) of stationary highly compressible homogeneous isotropic turbulence are carried out at the turbulent Mach number Mt ranging from 0.4 to 1.0 and the Taylor Reynolds number Reλ ranging from 180 to 250. An energy budget analysis shows that the SGS stress τij and the SGS heat flux Qj are dominant terms in the current Mt and Reλ ranges, while other terms are significantly smaller than the divergence of the SGS heat flux Qj and can be neglected in LES. We perform LES of compressible isotropic turbulence by using several SGS models including a dynamic Smagorinsky model, a dynamic mixed model, and an optimal model. In addition, a modified optimal model is constructed based on the magnitude of the filtered strain-rate tensor |S̃|, inspired by the physical insight that the region of the large magnitude of the filtered strain-rate tensor plays a significant role in kinetic energy transfer. Spectra, statistics, and scaling of velocity and thermodynamic variables from LES are tested. The modified optimal model performs better than other models, especially for the spectrum of the compressible velocity component at relatively low turbulent Mach numbers and high Taylor Reynolds numbers. The probability density function and the structure functions of velocity and thermodynamic variables are further studied, demonstrating that the statistical properties of the simulated flows are improved by the modified optimal model.

Multi-scale properties of large eddy simulations: correlations between resolved-scale velocity-field increments and subgrid-scale quantities

ABSTRACTWe provide analytical and numerical results concerning multi-scale correlations between the resolved velocity field and the subgrid-scale (SGS) stress-tensor in large eddy simulations (LES). Following previous studies for Navier–Stokes equations, we derive the exact hierarchy of LES equations governing the spatio-temporal evolution of velocity structure functions of any order. The aim is to assess the influence of the subgrid model on the inertial range intermittency. We provide a series of predictions, within the multifractal theory, for the scaling of correlation involving the SGS stress and we compare them against numerical results from high-resolution Smagorinsky LES and from a-priori filtered data generated from direct numerical simulations (DNS). We find that LES data generally agree very well with filtered DNS results and with the multifractal prediction for all leading terms in the balance equations. Discrepancies are measured for some of the sub-leading terms involving cross-correlation between resolved velocity increments and the SGS tensor or the SGS energy transfer, suggesting that there must be room to improve the SGS modelisation to further extend the inertial range properties for any fixed LES resolution.

Time irreversibility in reversible shell models of turbulence.

Turbulent flows governed by the Navier-Stokes equations (NSE) generate an out-of-equilibrium time irreversible energy cascade from large to small scales. In the NSE, the energy transfer is due to the nonlinear terms that are formally symmetric under time reversal. As for the dissipative term: first, it explicitly breaks time reversibility; second, it produces a small-scale sink for the energy transfer that remains effective even in the limit of vanishing viscosity. As a result, it is not clear how to disentangle the time irreversibility originating from the non-equilibrium energy cascade from the explicit time-reversal symmetry breaking due to the viscous term. To this aim, in this paper we investigate the properties of the energy transfer in turbulent shell models by using a reversible viscous mechanism, avoiding any explicit breaking of the [Formula: see text] symmetry. We probe time irreversibility by studying the statistics of Lagrangian power, which is found to be asymmetric under time reversal also in the time-reversible model. This suggests that the turbulent dynamics converges to a strange attractor where time reversibility is spontaneously broken and whose properties are robust for what concerns purely inertial degrees of freedoms, as verified by the anomalous scaling behavior of the velocity structure functions.

Scaling and Similarity of the Anisotropic Coherent Eddies in Near-Surface Atmospheric Turbulence

Abstract The low-wavenumber regime of the spectrum of turbulence commensurate with Townsend’s “attached” eddies is investigated here for the near-neutral atmospheric surface layer (ASL) and the roughness sublayer (RSL) above vegetation canopies. The central thesis corroborates the significance of the imbalance between local production and dissipation of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) and canopy shear in challenging the classical distance-from-the-wall scaling of canonical turbulent boundary layers. Using five experimental datasets (two vegetation canopy RSL flows, two ASL flows, and one open-channel experiment), this paper explores (i) the existence of a low-wavenumber k−1 scaling law in the (wind) velocity spectra or, equivalently, a logarithmic scaling ln(r) in the velocity structure functions; (ii) phenomenological aspects of these anisotropic scales as a departure from homogeneous and isotropic scales; and (iii) the collapse of experimental data when plotted with different similarity coordinates. The results show that the extent of the k−1 and/or ln(r) scaling for the longitudinal velocity is shorter in the RSL above canopies than in the ASL because of smaller scale separation in the former. Conversely, these scaling laws are absent in the vertical velocity spectra except at large distances from the wall. The analysis reveals that the statistics of the velocity differences Δu and Δw approach a Gaussian-like behavior at large scales and that these eddies are responsible for momentum/energy production corroborated by large positive (negative) excursions in Δu accompanied by negative (positive) ones in Δw. A length scale based on TKE dissipation collapses the velocity structure functions at different heights better than the inertial length scale.

Laws of Random Walks Derived by A.N. Kolmogorov in 1934

In the first half of the 1930s A.N. Kolmogorov was developing analytical methods for the probability theory and presented the solution of the Fokker–Planck type equation. This solution contains scales for the distribution function moments of the mean squares for velocities and relative displacements of the analyzed objects and for the mixed moments of velocities and coordinates. The exclusion of time from these moments leads to the 2/3 law for the velocity structure function and to the Richardson–Obukhov law for the eddy diffusion. The analysis of the fetch laws for wind waves demonstrates that the Kolmogorov laws are manifested in the growth of wave amplitudes and in the form of elevation spectra. These laws also work in the statistics of the planetary surface relief, in the size distribution of the lithospheric plates, in the energy spectra of cosmic rays, and in other processes. In the equation deduced in 1934, probability distribution functions are derived only under the condition of homogeneity of these functions and thereby allow describing a broad range of phenomena and processes.

On the universality of anomalous scaling exponents of structure functions in turbulent flows

All previous experiments in open turbulent flows (e.g. downstream of grids, jets and the atmospheric boundary layer) have produced quantitatively consistent values for the scaling exponents of velocity structure functions (Anselmet et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 140, 1984, pp. 63–89; Stolovitzky et al., Phys. Rev. E, vol. 48 (5), 1993, R3217; Arneodo et al., Europhys. Lett., vol. 34 (6), 1996, p. 411). The only measurement of scaling exponents at high order (${>}6$) in closed turbulent flow (von Kármán swirling flow) using Taylor’s frozen flow hypothesis, however, produced scaling exponents that are significantly smaller, suggesting that the universality of these exponents is broken with respect to change of large scale geometry of the flow. Here, we report measurements of longitudinal structure functions of velocity in a von Kármán set-up without the use of the Taylor hypothesis. The measurements are made using stereo particle image velocimetry at four different ranges of spatial scales, in order to observe a combined inertial subrange spanning approximately one and a half orders of magnitude. We found scaling exponents (up to ninth order) that are consistent with values from open turbulent flows, suggesting that they might be in fact universal.

The Different Types of Turbulence in Rotating Spherical Layers

Turbulent flows of a viscous incompressible fluid in a layer between rotating concentric spheres under the action of the modulation of the velocity of one of the spheres have been studied experimentally and numerically. The form of spectra of turbulent pulsations of the azimuthal velocity depends on the sphere whose rotational velocity is modulated, as well as on the amplitude and frequency of modulation. The possibility of the formation of turbulence with spectra qualitatively similar to spectra obtained in measurements in the upper atmosphere is established: with the slope close to –3 at low frequencies and close to –5/3 at high frequencies and with the negative longitudinal velocity structure function of the third order. It has been shown that such spectra are formed in the regions of a flow that are strongly synchronized under the action of the modulation of the rotational velocity.

Lattice Boltzmann simulations of high-order statistics in isotropic turbulent flows

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is coupled with the multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) collision model and the three-dimensional 19-discrete-velocity (D3Q19) model to resolve intermittent behaviors on small scales in isotropic turbulent flows. The high-order scaling exponents of the velocity structure functions, the probability distribution functions of Lagrangian accelerations, and the local energy dissipation rates are investigated. The self-similarity of the space-time velocity structure functions is explored using the extended self-similarity (ESS) method, which was originally developed for velocity spatial structure functions. The scaling exponents of spatial structure functions at up to ten orders are consistent with the experimental measurements and theoretical results, implying that the LBM can accurately resolve the intermittent behaviors. This validation provides a solid basis for using the LBM to study more complex processes that are sensitive to small scales in turbulent flows, such as the relative dispersion of pollutants and mesoscale structures of preferential concentration of heavy particles suspended in turbulent flows.

Measurements of wind turbulence parameters by a conically scanning coherent Doppler lidar in the atmospheric boundary layer

Abstract. The method and results of lidar studies of spatiotemporal variability of wind turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer are reported. The measurements were conducted by a Stream Line pulsed coherent Doppler lidar (PCDL) with the use of conical scanning by a probing beam around the vertical axis. Lidar data are used to estimate the kinetic energy of turbulence, turbulent energy dissipation rate, integral scale of turbulence, and momentum fluxes. The dissipation rate was determined from the azimuth structure function of radial velocity within the inertial subrange of turbulence. When estimating the kinetic energy of turbulence from lidar data, we took into account the averaging of radial velocity over the sensing volume. The integral scale of turbulence was determined on the assumption that the structure of random irregularities of the wind field is described by the von Kármán model. The domain of applicability of the used method and the accuracy of the estimation of turbulence parameters were determined. Turbulence parameters estimated from Stream Line lidar measurement data and from data of a sonic anemometer were compared.