English

Discrete scale invariance in turbulence?

Statistical Mechanics 2007-05-23 v1

Abstract

Based on theoretical argument and experimental evidence, we conjecture that structure functions of turbulent times series exhibit log-periodic modulations decorating their power law dependence. In order to provide ironclad experimental evidence, we stress the need for novel methods of averaging and propose a novel ``canonical'' averaging scheme for the analysis of structure factors of turbulent flows. The strategy is to determine the scale rcr_c at which the dissipation rate is the largest in a given turn-over time series. This specific scale rcr_c translates into a specific ``phase'' in the logarithm of the scale which, when used as the origin, allows one to phase up the different measurements of a structure factor Sp(r)=Ap(ϵˉr)p/3S_p(r) = A_p (\bar\epsilon r)^{p/3} in different turn-over time realizations. We expect, as in Laplacian growth and in rupture, that the log-periodic oscillations will be reinforced by this canonical averaging. Demonstrating unambiguously the presence of log-periodicity and thus of discrete scale invariance (DSI) in turbulent time-series would provide an important step towards a direct demonstration of the Kolmogorov cascade or at least of its hierarchical imprint.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9802121,
  title  = {Discrete scale invariance in turbulence?},
  author = {D. Sornette},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9802121},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

3 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of the Seventh European Turbulence Conference (ETC-7), June 30-July 3 (1998) (Published by Kluwer, U. Frisch, editor)

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