arXiv subjects

B. Dubrulle

Publications and source records attributed to B. Dubrulle.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

A model of interacting Navier-Stokes singularities

We introduce a model of interacting singularities of Navier-Stokes, named pin\,cons. They follow a Hamiltonian dynamics, obtained by the condition that the velocity field around these singularities obeys locally Navier-Stokes equations. This model can be seen of a generalization of the vorton model of Novikov, that was derived for the Euler equations. When immersed in a regular field, the pin\,cons are further transported and sheared by the regular field, while applying a stress onto the regular field, that becomes dominant at a scale that is smaller than the Kolmogorov length. We apply this model to compute the motion of a dipole of pin\,cons. When the initial relative orientation of the dipole is inside the interval (0, pi/2), a dipole made of pin\,con of same intensity exhibits a transient collapse stage, following a scaling with dipole radius tending to 0 like (tc - t) power 0.63. For long time, the dynamics of the dipole is however repulsive, with both components running away from each other to infinity.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2021

On the investigation of properties of superfluid $^4$He turbulence using a hot-wire signal

We report hot-wire measurements performed in two very different, co- and counter-rotating flows, in normal and superfluid helium at 1.6 K, 2 K, and 2.3 K. As recently reported, the power spectrum of the hot-wire signal in superfluid flows exhibits a significant bump at high frequency (Diribarne et al. [1]). We confirm that the bump frequency does not depend significantly on the temperature and further extend the previous analysis of the velocity dependence of the bump, over more than one decade of velocity. The main result is that the bump frequency depends on the turbulence intensity of the flow, and that using the turbulent Reynolds number rather than the velocity as a control parameter collapses results from both co- and counter-rotating flows. The vortex shedding model previously proposed, in its current form, does not account for this observation. This suggests that the physical origin of the bump is related to the small scale turbulence properties of the flow. We finally propose some qualitative physical mechanism by which the smallest structures of the flow, at intervortex distance, could affect the heat flux of the hot-wire.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2021

A correspondence between the multifractal model of turbulence and the Navier-Stokes equations

We study a correspondence between the multifractal model of turbulence and the Navier-Stokes equations in $d$ spatial dimensions by comparing their respective dissipation length scales. In Kolmogorov's 1941 theory the key parameter $h$, which is an exponent in the Navier-Stokes invariance scaling, is fixed at $h=1/3$ but is allowed a spectrum of values in multifractal theory. Taking into account all derivatives of the Navier-Stokes equations, it is found that for this correspondence to hold the multifractal spectrum $C(h)$ must be bounded from below such that $C(h) \geq 1-3h$, which is consistent with the four-fifths law. Moreover, $h$ must also be bounded from below such that $h \geq (1-d)/3$. When $d=3$ the allowed range of $h$ is given by $h \geq -2/3$ thereby bounding $h$ away from $h=-1$. The implications of this are discussed.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2017

On the universality of anomalous scaling exponents of structure functions in turbulent flows

All previous experiments in open turbulent flows (e.g. downstream of grids, jet and atmospheric boundary layer) have produced quantitatively consistent values for the scaling exponents of velocity structure functions. The only measurement in closed turbulent flow (von Kármán swirling flow) using Taylor-hypothesis, however, produced scaling exponents that are significantly smaller, suggesting that the universality of these exponents are broken with respect to change of large scale geometry of the flow. Here, we report measurements of longitudinal structure functions of velocity in a von Kármán setup without the use of Taylor-hypothesis. The measurements are made using Stereo Particle Image Velocimetry at 4 different ranges of spatial scales, in order to observe a combined inertial subrange spanning roughly one and a half order of magnitude. We found scaling exponents (up to 9th order) that are consistent with values from open turbulent flows, suggesting that they might be in fact universal.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2017

Effects of turbulence, resistivity and boundary conditions on helicoidal flow collimation: consequences for the Von-Kármán-Sodium dynamo experiment

We present hydrodynamic and magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of a liquid sodium flow using the compressible MHD code PLUTO to investigate the magnetic field regeneration in the Von-Karman-Sodium dynamo experiment. The aim of the study is to analyze the influence of the fluid resistivity and turbulence level on the collimation by helicoidal motions of a remnant magnetic field. We use a simplified cartesian geometry to represent the flow dynamics in the vicinity of one cavity of a multi-blades impeller inspired by those used in the Von-Karman-Sodium (VKS) experiment. We perform numerical simulations with kinetic Reynolds numbers up to 1000 for magnetic Prandtl numbers between 30 and 0.1. Our study shows that perfect ferromagnetic walls favour enhanced collimation of flow and magnetic fields even if the turbulence degree of the model increases. The location of the helicoidal coherent vortex in between the blades changes with the impinging velocity. It becomes closer to the upstream blade and impeller base if the flow incident angle is analogous to the TM73 impeller configuration rotating in the unscooping direction. This result is also obtained at higher kinetic Reynolds numbers when the helicoidal vortex undergoes a precessing motion, leading to a reinforced effect in the vortex evolution and in the magnetic field collimation when using again perfect ferromagnetic boundary conditions. We estimate the efficiency of a hypothetical dynamo loop occurring in the vicinity of the impeller and discuss the relevance of our findings in the context of mean field dynamo theory.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2017

The role of boundary conditions on helicoidal flow collimation: consequences for the Von-Kármán-Sodium dynamo experiment

We present hydrodynamic and magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of liquid sodium flow with the PLUTO compressible MHD code to investigate influence of magnetic boundary conditions on the collimation of helicoidal motions. We use a simplified cartesian geometry to represent the flow dynamics in the vicinity of one cavity of a multi-blades impeller inspired by those used in the Von-Kármán-Sodium (VKS) experiment. We show that the impinging of the large scale flow upon the impeller generates a coherent helicoidal vortex inside the blades, located at a distance from the upstream blade piloted by the incident angle of the flow. This vortex collimates any existing magnetic field lines leading to an enhancement of the radial magnetic field that is stronger for ferromagnetic than for conducting blades. The induced magnetic field modifies locally the velocity fluctuations, resulting in an enhanced helicity. This process possibly explains why dynamo action is more easily triggered in the VKS experiment when using soft iron impellers.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2015

Dynamo regimes and transitions in the VKS experiment

The Von K{á}rm{á}n Sodium experiment yields a variety of dynamo regimes, when asymmetry is imparted to the flow by rotating impellers at different speed F1 and F2. We show that as the intensity of forcing, measured as F1 + F2, is increased, the transition to a self-sustained magnetic field is always observed via a supercritical bifurcation to a stationary state. For some values of the asymmetry parameter $\θ$ = (F1--F2)/(F1+F2), time dependent dynamo regimes develop. They are observed either when the forcing is increased for a given value of asymmetry, or when the amount of asymmetry is varied at sufficiently high forcing. Two qualitatively different transitions between oscillatory and stationary regimes are reported, involving or not a strong divergence of the period of oscillations. These transitions can be interpreted using a low dimensional model based on the interactions of two dynamo modes.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2012

Dual local and non-local cascades in 3D turbulent Beltrami flows

We discuss the possibility of dual local and non-local cascades in a 3D turbulent Beltrami flow, with inverse energy cascade and direct helicity cascade, by analogy with 2D turbulence. We discuss the corresponding energy spectrum in both local and non-local case. Comparison with a high Reynolds number turbulent von Karman flow is provided and discussed.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2012

Turbulent velocity spectra in superfluid flows

We present velocity spectra measured in three cryogenic liquid 4He steady flows: grid and wake flows in a pressurized wind tunnel capable of achieving mean velocities up to 5 m/s at temperatures above and below the superfluid transition, down to 1.7 K, and a "chunk" turbulence flow at 1.55 K, capable of sustaining mean superfluid velocities up to 1.3 m/s. Depending on the flows, the stagnation pressure probes used for anemometry are resolving from one to two decades of the inertial regime of the turbulent cascade. We do not find any evidence that the second order statistics of turbulence below the superfluid transition differ from the ones of classical turbulence, above the transition.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Angular momentum transport and turbulence in laboratory models of Keplerian flows

We present angular momentum transport (torque) measurements in two recent experimental studies of the turbulent flow between independently rotating cylinders. In addition to these studies, we reanalyze prior torque measurements to expand the range of control parameters for the experimental Taylor-Couette flows. We find that the torque may be described as a product of functions that depend only on the Reynolds number, which describes the turbulent driving intensity, and the rotation number, which characterizes the effects of global rotation. For a given Reynolds number, the global angular momentum transport for Keplerian-like flow profiles is approximately 14% of the maximum achievable transport rate. We estimate that this level of transport would produce an accretion rate of $\dot{M}/\dot{M_0} \sim 10^{-3}$ in astrophysical disks. We argue that this level of transport from hydrodynamics alone could be significant.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Susceptibility divergence, phase transition and multistability of a highly turbulent closed flow

Using time-series of stereoscopic particle image velocimetry data, we study the response of a turbulent von Kármán swirling flow to a continuous breaking of its forcing symmetry. Experiments are carried over a wide Reynolds number range, from laminar regime at $Re = 10^{2}$ to highly turbulent regime near $Re = 10^{6}$. We show that the flow symmetry can be quantitatively characterized by two scalars, the global angular momentum $I$ and the mixing layer altitude $z_s$, which are shown to be statistically equivalent. Furthermore, we report that the flow response to small forcing dissymetry is linear, with a slope depending on the Reynolds number: this response coefficient increases non monotonically from small to large Reynolds number and presents a divergence at a critical Reynolds number $Re_c = 40\,000 \pm 5\,000$. This divergence coincides with a change in the statistical properties of the instantaneous flow symmetry $I(t)$: its pdf changes from Gaussian to non-Gaussian with multiple maxima, revealing metastable non-symmetrical states. For symmetric forcing, a peak of fluctuations of $I(t)$ is also observed at $Re_c$: these fluctuations correspond to time-intermittencies between metastable states of the flow which, contrary to the very-long-time-averaged mean flow, spontaneously and dynamically break the system symmetry. We show that these observations can be interpreted in terms of divergence of the susceptibility to symmetry breaking, revealing the existence of a phase transition. An analogy with the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition in solid-state physics is presented and discussed.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2011

Kinematic dynamo simulations of von Kármán flows: application to the VKS experiment

The VKS experiment has evidenced dynamo action in a highly turbulent liquid sodium von Kármán flow [R. Monchaux et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 98}, 044502 (2007)]. However, the existence and the onset of a dynamo happen to depend on the exact experimental configuration. By performing kinematic dynamo simulations on real flows, we study their influence on dynamo action, in particular the sense of rotation and the presence of an annulus in the shear layer plane. The 3 components of the mean velocity fields are measured in a water prototype for different VKS configurations through Stereoscopic Particle Imaging Velocimetry. Experimental data are then processed in order to use them in a periodic cylindrical kinematic code. Even if the kinematic predicted mode appears to be different from the experimental saturated one, the results concerning the existence of a dynamo and the thresholds are in qualitative agreement, showing the importance of the flow characteristics.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Scaling laws prediction from a solvable model of turbulent thermal convection

A solvable turbulent model is used to predict both the structure of the boundary layer and the scaling laws in thermal convection. The transport of heat depends on the interplay between the thermal, viscous and integral scales of turbulence, and thus, on both the Prandtl number and the Reynolds numbers. Depending on their values, a wide variety of possible regimes is found, including the classical 2/7 and 1/3 law, and a new $4/13=0.308$ law for the Nusselt power law variation with the Rayleigh number.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Scaling in large Prandtl number turbulent thermal convection

We study the scaling properties of heat transfer $Nu$ in turbulent thermal convection at large Prandtl number $Pr$ using a quasi-linear theory. We show that two regimes arise, depending on the Reynolds number $Re$. At low Reynolds number, $Nu Pr^{-1/2}$ and $Re$ are a function of $Ra Pr^{-3/2}$. At large Reynolds number $Nu Pr^{1/3}$ and $Re Pr$ are function only of $Ra Pr^{2/3}$ (within logarithmic corrections). In practice, since $Nu$ is always close to $Ra^{1/3}$, this corresponds to a much weaker dependence of the heat transfer in the Prandtl number at low Reynolds number than at large Reynolds number. This difference may solve an existing controversy between measurements in SF6 (large $Re$) and in alcohol/water (lower $Re$). We link these regimes with a possible global bifurcation in the turbulent mean flow. We further show how a scaling theory could be used to describe these two regimes through a single universal function. This function presents a bimodal character for intermediate range of Reynolds number. We explain this bimodality in term of two dissipation regimes, one in which fluctuation dominate, and one in which mean flow dominates. Altogether, our results provide a six parameters fit of the curve $Nu(Ra,Pr)$ which may be used to describe all measurements at $Pr\ge 0.7$.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2011

Momentum transport and torque scaling in Taylor-Couette flow from an analogy with turbulent convection

We generalize an analogy between rotating and stratified shear flows. This analogy is summarized in Table 1. We use this analogy in the unstable case (centrifugally unstable flow v.s. convection) to compute the torque in Taylor-Couette configuration, as a function of the Reynolds number. At low Reynolds numbers, when most of the dissipation comes from the mean flow, we predict that the non-dimensional torque $G=T/ν^2L$, where $L$ is the cylinder length, scales with Reynolds number $R$ and gap width $η$, $G=1.46 η^{3/2} (1-η)^{-7/4}R^{3/2}$. At larger Reynolds number, velocity fluctuations become non-negligible in the dissipation. In these regimes, there is no exact power law dependence the torque versus Reynolds. Instead, we obtain logarithmic corrections to the classical ultra-hard (exponent 2) regimes: $$ G=0.50\frac{η^{2}}{(1-η)^{3/2}}\frac{R^{2}}{\ln[η^2(1-η)R^ 2/10^4]^{3/2}}.$$ These predictions are found to be in excellent agreement with available experimental data. Predictions for scaling of velocity fluctuations are also provided.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Stability and turbulent transport in rotating shear flows: prescription from analysis of cylindrical and plane Couette flows data

This paper provides a prescription for the turbulent viscosity in rotating shear flows for use e.g. in geophysical and astrophysical contexts. This prescription is the result of the detailed analysis of the experimental data obtained in several studies of the transition to turbulence and turbulent transport in Taylor-Couette flow. We first introduce a new set of control parameters, based on dynamical rather than geometrical considerations, so that the analysis applies more naturally to rotating shear flows in general and not only to Taylor-Couette flow. We then investigate the transition thresholds in the supercritical and the subcritical regime in order to extract their general dependencies on the control parameters. The inspection of the mean profiles provides us with some general hints on the mean to laminar shear ratio. Then the examination of the torque data allows us to propose a decomposition of the torque dependence on the control parameters in two terms, one completely given by measurements in the case where the outer cylinder is at rest, the other one being a universal function provided here from experimental fits. As a result, we obtain a general expression for the turbulent viscosity and compare it to existing prescription in the literature. Finally, throughout all the paper we discuss the influence of additional effects such as stratification or magnetic fields.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Relaxation equations for two-dimensional turbulent flows with a prior vorticity distribution

Using a Maximum Entropy Production Principle (MEPP), we derive a new type of relaxation equations for two-dimensional turbulent flows in the case where a prior vorticity distribution is prescribed instead of the Casimir constraints [Ellis, Haven, Turkington, Nonlin., 15, 239 (2002)]. The particular case of a Gaussian prior is specifically treated in connection to minimum enstrophy states and Fofonoff flows. These relaxation equations are compared with other relaxation equations proposed by Robert and Sommeria [Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 2776 (1992)] and Chavanis [Physica D, 237, 1998 (2008)]. They can provide a small-scale parametrization of 2D turbulence or serve as numerical algorithms to compute maximum entropy states with appropriate constraints. We perform numerical simulations of these relaxation equations in order to illustrate geometry induced phase transitions in geophysical flows.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Statistical mechanics of two-dimensional Euler flows and minimum enstrophy states

A simplified thermodynamic approach of the incompressible 2D Euler equation is considered based on the conservation of energy, circulation and microscopic enstrophy. Statistical equilibrium states are obtained by maximizing the Miller-Robert-Sommeria (MRS) entropy under these sole constraints. The vorticity fluctuations are Gaussian while the mean flow is characterized by a linear $\barω-ψ$ relationship. Furthermore, the maximization of entropy at fixed energy, circulation and microscopic enstrophy is equivalent to the minimization of macroscopic enstrophy at fixed energy and circulation. This provides a justification of the minimum enstrophy principle from statistical mechanics when only the microscopic enstrophy is conserved among the infinite class of Casimir constraints. A new class of relaxation equations towards the statistical equilibrium state is derived. These equations can provide an effective description of the dynamics towards equilibrium or serve as numerical algorithms to determine maximum entropy or minimum enstrophy states. We use these relaxation equations to study geometry induced phase transitions in rectangular domains. In particular, we illustrate with the relaxation equations the transition between monopoles and dipoles predicted by Chavanis and Sommeria [J. Fluid. Mech. 314, 267 (1996)]. We take into account stable as well as metastable states and show that metastable states are robust and have negative specific heats. This is the first evidence of negative specific heats in that context. We also argue that saddle points of entropy can be long-lived and play a role in the dynamics because the system may not spontaneously generate the perturbations that destabilize them.

physics.flu-dyn↗