Direct measurements of anisotropic energy transfers in a rotating turbulence experiment

Abstract

We investigate experimentally the influence of a background rotation on the energy transfers in decaying grid turbulence. The anisotropic energy flux density, $\mathbf{F}(\mathbf{r})=<\delta \mathbf{u}(\delta \mathbf{u}{)}^2>$, where $\delta \mathbf{u}$ is the vector velocity increment over separation $\mathbf{r}$, is determined for the first time using Particle Image Velocimetry. We show that rotation induces an anisotropy of the energy flux $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{F}$, which leads to an anisotropy growth of the energy distribution $E(\mathbf{r})=<(\delta \mathbf{u}{)}^2>$, in agreement with the Kármán-Howarth-Monin equation. Surprisingly, our results prove that this anisotropy growth is essentially driven by a nearly radial, but orientation-dependent, energy flux density $\mathbf{F}(\mathbf{r})$.

to appear in Physical Review Letters (July 8, 2011 issue)

References in corpus (2)

• Excitation of inertial modes in a closed grid turbulence experiment under rotation
• On the third order structure function for rotating 3D homogeneous turbulent flow

Cited by in corpus (26)

• Direct and inverse energy cascades in a forced rotating turbulence experiment
• Isotropisation at small scales of rotating helically-driven turbulence
• Large-Eddy Simulations of Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in Heliophysics and Astrophysics
• Experimental evidence of a triadic resonance of plane inertial waves in a rotating fluid
• Anisotropy and non-universality in scaling laws of the large scale energy spectrum in rotating turbulence
• Anisotropy of third-order structure functions in MHD turbulence
• Quantitative experimental observation of weak inertial-wave turbulence
• Energy transfer in turbulence under rotation
• Disentangling inertial waves from eddy turbulence in a forced rotating turbulence experiment
• Scale-dependent cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry in a forced rotating turbulence experiment
• Shortcut to geostrophy in wave-driven rotating turbulence: the quartetic instability
• An alternative formulation for exact scaling relations in hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
• Inverse and direct energy cascades in 3D MHD turbulence at low-Rm
• Weak turbulence theory for rotating magnetohydrodynamics and planetary dynamos
• Restricted Equilibrium and the Energy Cascade in Rotating and Stratified Flows
• Local cascade and dissipation in incompressible Hall magnetohydrodynamic turbulence: the Coarse-Graining approach
• Theory for helical turbulence under fast rotation
• Small-scale anisotropy induced by spectral forcing and by rotation in non-helical and helical turbulence
• Interplay between geostrophic vortices and inertial waves in precession-driven turbulence
• The decay of Batchelor and Saffman rotating turbulence
• Mean flow anisotropy without waves in rotating turbulence
• Direct measurement of energy transfer in strongly driven rotating turbulence
• Locality of triad interaction and Kolmogorov constant in inertial wave turbulence
• Relating statistics to dynamics in axisymmetric homogeneous turbulence
• The energy cascade in grid-generated non-equilibrium decaying turbulence
• Impact of pressure anisotropy on the cascade rate of Hall-MHD turbulence with biadiabatic ions