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Intermittency-Driven Turbulence Cascade Memory Extends the Markov-Einstein Coherence Length Beyond the Canonical Estimate

Fluid Dynamics 2026-04-28 v1 Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability

Abstract

Using direct numerical simulation of forced isotropic turbulence at Reλ1300\text{Re}_\lambda \approx 1300 and 433\approx 433, together with two independent Markov-by-construction null surrogates, we measure the Markov--Einstein coherence length of the turbulent energy cascade to be Δr3.2\Delta r \approx 3.2-3.63.6 in log-scale cascade coordinates, approximately three times the canonical estimate Δr1\Delta r \approx 1. Stratifying the gap-scan test by local dissipation intensity and by increment amplitude reveals that intermittent events carry Δr3\Delta r \approx 3-44, while at mid-inertial-range scales the quiescent cascade recovers Δr1.0\Delta r \approx 1.0-1.41.4, consistent with the canonical value. Near the dissipation range this pattern reverses: bulk dynamics carry more memory than extreme events, consistent with the spectral bottleneck. The excess memory is internal to the inertial range and Reynolds-number-independent over Reλ433\text{Re}_\lambda \approx 433-13001300. These findings indicate that the Markov approximation underlying the cascade Fokker-Planck equation and fluctuation-theorem analyses is substantially more restrictive than previously assumed, and that a non-Markovian correction, informed by the amplitude-dependent memory structure identified here, is needed for the intermittent component of the cascade.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2604.23962,
  title  = {Intermittency-Driven Turbulence Cascade Memory Extends the Markov-Einstein Coherence Length Beyond the Canonical Estimate},
  author = {Y. Sungtaek Ju},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.23962},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

12 pages, 3 figures

R2 v1 2026-07-01T12:36:13.147Z