Vorticity statistics in the direct cascade of two-dimensional turbulence

Gregory Falkovich, Vladimir Lebedev

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

For the direct cascade of steady two-dimensional (2D) Navier-Stokes turbulence, we derive analytically the probability of strong vorticity fluctuations. When is the vorticity coarse-grained over a scale R, the probability density function (PDF), P, has a universal asymptotic behavior lnP~-rms at rms=[Hln(L/R)]1/3, where H is the enstrophy flux and L is the pumping length. Therefore, the PDF has exponential tails and is self-similar, that is, it can be presented as a function of a single argument, rms, in distinction from other known direct cascades.

Original languageEnglish
Article number045301
JournalPhysical Review E
Volume83
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 11 Apr 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
  • Statistics and Probability

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