Abstract
We investigate how inhomogeneity influences the
$k^{-5/3}$
inertial range scaling of turbulent kinetic energy spectra (with
$k$
the wavenumber). For weak statistical inhomogeneity, the energy spectrum can be described as an equilibrium spectrum plus a perturbation. Theoretical arguments suggest that this latter contribution scales as
$k^{-7/3}$
. This prediction is assessed using direct numerical simulations of three-dimensional Kolmogorov flow.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Mechanical Engineering,Mechanics of Materials,Condensed Matter Physics,Applied Mathematics