Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-sjtt6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-20T05:53:08.701Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Non-local two-dimensional turbulence and Batchelor's regime for passive scalars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2000

S. NAZARENKO
Affiliation:
Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
J.-P. LAVAL
Affiliation:
CEA/DAPNIA/SAp L'Orme des Merisiers, 709, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France

Abstract

We study small-scale two-dimensional non-local turbulence, where interaction of small scales with large vortices dominates in the small-scale dynamics, by using a semi-classical approach developed in Dyachenko, Nazarenko & Zakharov (1992), Nazarenko, Zabusky & Scheidegger (1995), Dubrulle & Nazarenko (1997) and Nazarenko, Kevlahan & Dubrulle (1999). Also, we consider a closely related problem of passive scalars in Batchelor's regime, when the Schmidt number is much greater than unity. In our approach, we do not perform any statistical averaging, and most of our results are valid for any form of the large-scale advection. A new invariant is found in this paper for passive scalars when their initial spectrum is isotropic. It is shown, analytically, numerically and using a dimensional argument, that there is a spectrum corresponding to an inverse cascade of the new invariant, which scales like k−1 for turbulent energy and k1 for passive scalars. For passive scalars, the k1-spectrum was first found by Kraichnan (1974) in the special case of advection δ-correlated in time, and until now it was believed to correspond to an absolute thermodynamic equilibrium and not a cascade. We also obtain, both analytically and numerically, power-law spectra of decaying two-dimensional turbulence, k−2, and passive scalar, k0.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)