arXiv subjects

Colm Connaughton

Publications and source records attributed to Colm Connaughton.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Mixed flux-equipartition solutions of a diffusion model of nonlinear cascades

We present a parametric study of a nonlinear diffusion equation which generalises Leith's model of a turbulent cascade to an arbitrary cascade having a single conserved quantity. There are three stationary regimes depending on whether the Kolmogorov exponent is greater than, less than or equal to the equilibrium exponent. In the first regime, the large scale spectrum scales with the Kolmogorov exponent. In the second regime, the large scale spectrum scales with the equilibrium exponent so the system appears to be at equilibrium at large scales. Furthermore, in this equilibrium-like regime, the amplitude of the large-scale spectrum depends on the small scale cut-off. This is interpreted as an analogue of cascade nonlocality. In the third regime, the equilibrium spectrum acquires a logarithmic correction. An exact analysis of the self-similar, non-stationary problem shows that time-evolving cascades have direct analogues of these three regimes.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2010

The life-cycle of drift-wave turbulence driven by small scale instability

We demonstrate theoretically and numerically the zonal-flow/drift-wave feedback mechanism for the LH transition in an idealised model of plasma turbulence driven by a small scale instability. Zonal flows are generated by a secondary modulational instability of the modes which are directly driven by the primary instability. The zonal flows then suppress the small scales thereby arresting the energy injection into the system, a process which can be described using nonlocal wave turbulence theory. Finally, the arrest of the energy input results in saturation of the zonal flows at a level which can be estimated from the theory and the system reaches stationarity without damping of the large scales.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2010

Nonlocal wave turbulence in the Charney-Hasegawa-Mima equation: a short review

Rossby wave turbulence, as modelled by the Charney-Hasegawa-Mima (CHM) equation, is nonlocal in scale. As a result, the formal stationary Kolmogorov-Zakharov solutions of the Rossby wave kinetic equation, which describe local cascades, are not valid. Rather the solution of the kinetic equation is dominated by interactions between the large and small scales. This suggests an alternative analytic approach based on an expansion of the collision integral in a small parameter obtained from scale separation. This expansion approximates the integral collision operator in the kinetic equation by anisotropic diffusion operators in wavenumber space as first shown in a series of papers by Balk, Nazarenko and Zakharov in the early 1990's. In this note we summarize the foundations of this theory and provide the technical details which were absent from the original papers.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2010

Developing Homogeneous Isotropic Turbulence

We investigate the self-similar evolution of the transient energy spectrum which precedes the establishment of the Kolmogorov spectrum in homogeneous isotropic turbulence in three dimensions using the EDQNM closure model. The transient evolution exhibits self-similarity of the second kind and has a non-trivial dynamical scaling exponent which results in the transient spectrum having a scaling which is steeper than the Kolmogorov $k^{-5/3}$ spectrum. Attempts to detect a similar phenomenon in DNS data are inconclusive owing to the limited range of scales available.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2010

On the Non-equilibrium Phase Transition in Evaporation-Deposition Models

We study a system of diffusing-aggregating particles with deposition and evaporation of monomers. By combining theoretical and numerical methods, we establish a clearer understanding of the non-equilibrium phase transition known to occur in such systems. The transition is between a growing phase in which the total mass increases for all time and a non-growing phase in which the total mass is bounded. In addition to deriving rigorous bounds on the position of the transition point, we show that the growing phase is in the same universality class as diffusion-aggregation models with deposition but no evaporation. In this regime, the flux of mass in mass space becomes asymptotically constant (as a function of mass) at large times. The magnitude of this flux depends on the evaporation rate but the fact that it is asymptotically constant does not. The associated constant flux relation exactly determines the scaling of the two-point mass correlation function with mass in all dimensions while higher-order mass correlation functions exhibit nonlinear multi-scaling in dimension less than 2. If the deposition rate is below some critical value, a different stationary state is reached at large times characterised by a global balance between evaporation and deposition with a scale-by-scale balance between the mass fluxes due to aggregation and evaporation. Both the mass distribution and the flux decay exponentially in this regime. Finally, we develop a scaling theory of the model near the critical point, which yields non-trivial scaling laws for the critical two-point mass correlation function with mass. These results are well supported by numerical measurements.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2010

Scaling properties of one-dimensional cluster-cluster aggregation with Levy diffusion

We present a study of the scaling properties of cluster-cluster aggregation with a source of monomers in the stationary state when the spatial transport of particles occurs by Levy flights. We show that the transition from mean-field statistics to fluctuation-dominated statistics which, for the more commonly considered case of diffusive transport, occurs as the spatial dimension of the system is tuned through two from above, can be mimicked even in one dimension by varying the characteristic exponent, beta, of the the Levy jump length distribution. We also show that the two-point mass correlation function, responsible for the flux of mass in the stationary state, is strongly universal: its scaling exponent is given by the mean field value independent of the spatial dimension and independent of the value of beta. Finally we study numerically the two point spatial correlation function which characterises the structure of the depletion zone around heavy particles in the diffusion limited regime. We find that this correlation function vanishes with a non-trivial fractional power of the separation between particles as this separation goes to zero. We provide a scaling argument for the value of this exponent which is in reasonable agreement with the numerical measurements.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2009

Dynamical Scaling and the Finite Capacity Anomaly in 3-Wave Turbulence

We present a systematic study of the dynamical scaling process leading to the establishment of the Kolmogorov--Zakharov (KZ) spectrum in weak 3-wave turbulence. In the finite capacity case, in which the transient spectrum reaches infinite frequency in finite time, the dynamical scaling exponent is anomalous in the sense that it cannot be determined from dimensional considerations. As a consequence, the transient spectrum preceding the establishment of the steady state is steeper than the KZ spectrum. Constant energy flux is actually established from right to left in frequency space after the singularity of the transient solution. From arguments based on entropy production, a steeper transient spectrum is heuristically plausible.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2009

Modulational instability of Rossby and drift waves and generation of zonal jets

We study the modulational instability of geophysical Rossby and plasma drift waves within the Charney-Hasegawa-Mima (CHM) model both theoretically, using truncated (four-mode and three-mode) models, and numerically, using direct simulations of CHM equation in the Fourier space. The linear theory predicts instability for any amplitude of the primary wave. For strong primary waves the most unstable modes are perpendicular to the primary wave, which correspond to generation of a zonal flow if the primary wave is purely meridional. For weaker waves, the maximum growth occurs for off-zonal inclined modulations. For very weak primary waves the unstable waves are close to being in three-wave resonance with the primary wave. The nonlinear theory predicts that the zonal flows generated by the linear instability experience pinching into narrow zonal jets. Our numerical simulations confirm the theoretical predictions of the linear theory as well as of the nonlinear pinching. We find that, for strong primary waves, these narrow zonal jets further roll up into Karman-like vortex streets. On the other hand, for weak primary waves, the growth of the unstable mode reverses and the system oscillates between a dominant jet and a dominate primary wave. The 2D vortex streets appear to be more stable than purely 1D zonal jets, and their zonal-averaged speed can reach amplitudes much stronger than is allowed by the Rayleigh-Kuo instability criterion for the 1D case. We find that the truncation models work well for both the linear stage and and often even for the medium-term nonlinear behavior. In the long term, the system transitions to turbulence helped by the vortex-pairing instability (for strong waves) and by the resonant wave-wave interactions (for weak waves).

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2009

On the probability distribution of power fluctuations in turbulence

We study local power fluctuations in numerical simulations of stationary, homogeneous, isotropic turbulence in two and three dimensions with Gaussian forcing. Due to the near-Gaussianity of the one-point velocity distribution, the probability distribution function (pdf) of the local power is well modelled by the pdf of the product of two joint normally distributed variables. In appropriate units, this distribution is parameterised only by the mean dissipation rate, $ε$. The large deviation function for this distribution is calculated exactly and shown to satisfy a Fluctuation Relation (FR) with a coefficient which depends on $ε$. This FR is entirely statistical in origin. The deviation from the model pdf are most pronounced for positive fluctuations of the power and can be traced to a slightly faster than Gaussian decay of the tails of the one-point velocity pdf. The resulting deviations from the FR are consistent with several recent experimental studies.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2008

Constant Flux Relation for diffusion limited cluster-cluster aggregation

In a non-equilibrium system, a Constant Flux Relation (CFR) expresses the fact that a constant flux of a conserved quantity exactly determines the scaling of the particular correlation function linked to the flux of that conserved quantity. This is true regardless of whether mean--field theory is applicable or not. We focus on cluster--cluster aggregation and discuss the consequences of mass conservation for the steady state of aggregation models with a monomer source in the diffusion-limited regime. We derive the CFR for the flux-carrying correlation function for binary aggregation with a general scale-invariant kernel and show that this exponent is unique. It is independent of both the dimension and of the details of the spatial transport mechanism, a property which is very atypical in the diffusion-limited regime. We then discuss in detail the ``locality criterion'' which must be satisfied in order for the CFR scaling to be realisable. Locality may be checked explicitly for the mean-field Smoluchowski equation. We show that if it is satisfied at the mean-field level, it remains true over some finite range as one perturbatively decreases the dimension of the system below the critical dimension, $d_c=2$, entering the fluctuation-dominated regime. We turn to numerical simulations to verify locality for a range of systems in one dimension which are, presumably, beyond the perturbative regime. Finally, we illustrate how the CFR scaling may break down as a result of a violation of locality or as a result of finite size effects and discuss the extent to which the results apply to higher order aggregation processes.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2007

Constant flux relation for aggregation models with desorption and fragmentation

We study mass fluxes in aggregation models where mass transfer to large scales by aggregation occurs alongside desorption or fragmentation. Two models are considered. (1) A system of diffusing, aggregating particles with influx and outflux of particles (in-out model) (2) A system of diffusing aggregating particles with fragmentation (chipping model). Both these models can exist in phases where probability distributions are power laws. In these power law phases, we argue that the two point correlation function should have a certain homogeneity exponent. These arguments are based on the exact constant flux scaling valid for simple aggregation with input. Predictions are compared with Monte Carlo simulations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2007

Constant flux relation for driven dissipative systems

Conservation laws constrain the stationary state statistics of driven dissipative systems because the average flux of a conserved quantity between driving and dissipation scales should be constant. This requirement leads to a universal scaling law for flux-measuring correlation functions, which generalizes the 4/5-th law of Navier-Stokes turbulence. We demonstrate the utility of this simple idea by deriving new exact scaling relations for models of aggregating particle systems in the fluctuation-dominated regime and for energy and wave action cascades in models of strong wave turbulence.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2005

Cluster-Cluster Aggregation as an Analogue of a Turbulent Cascade : Kolmogorov Phenomenology, Scaling Laws and the Breakdown of self-similarity

We present a detailed study of the statistics of a system of diffusing aggregating particles with a steady monomer source. We emphasise the case of low spatial dimensions where strong diffusive fluctuations invalidate the mean-field description provided by standard Smoluchowski kinetic theory. The presence of a source of monomers allows the system to reach a statistically stationary state at large times. This state is characterised by a constant flux of mass directed from small to large masses. It admits a phenomenological description based on the assumption of self-similarity and constant mass flux analogous to the Kolmogorov's 1941 theory of turbulence. Unlike turbulence, the aggregation problem is analytically tractable using powerful methods of statistical field theory. We explain in detail how these methods should be adapted to study the far-from-equilibrium, flux-dominated states characteristic of turbulent systems. We consider multipoint correlation functions of the mass density. By an exact evaluation of the scaling exponents for the one and two-point correlation functions, we show that the assumption of self-similiarity breaks down at large masses for spatial dimensions, $d\leq2$. We calculate non-rigourously the exponents of the higher order correlation functions as an $ε$-expansion where $ε=2-d$. We show that the mass distribution exhibits non-trivial multiscaling. An analogy can be drawn with the case of hydrodynamic turbulence. The origin of this multiscaling is traced to strong correlations between particles participating in large mass aggregation events. These correlations stem from the recurrence of diffusion processes in $d\leq2$.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2005

Condensation of classical nonlinear waves

We study the formation of a large-scale coherent structure (a condensate) in classical wave equations by considering the defocusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation as a representative model. We formulate a thermodynamic description of the condensation process by using a wave turbulence theory with ultraviolet cut-off. In 3 dimensions the equilibrium state undergoes a phase transition for sufficiently low energy density, while no transition occurs in 2 dimensions, in analogy with standard Bose-Einstein condensation in quantum systems. Numerical simulations show that the thermodynamic limit is reached for systems with $16^3$ computational modes and greater. On the basis of a modified wave turbulence theory, we show that the nonlinear interaction makes the transition to condensation subcritical. The theory is in quantitative agreement with the simulations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2004

Breakdown of Kolmogorov scaling in models of cluster aggregation with deposition

The steady state of the model of cluster aggregation with deposition is characterized by a constant flux of mass directed from small masses towards large masses. It can therefore be studied using phenomenological theories of turbulence, such as Kolmogorov's 1941 theory. On the other hand, the large scale behavior of the aggregation model in dimensions lower than or equal to two is governed by a perturbative fixed point of the renormalization group flow, which enables an analytic study of the scaling properties of correlation functions in the steady state. In this paper, we show that the correlation functions have multifractal scaling, which violates linear Kolmogorov scaling. The analytical results are verified by Monte Carlo simulations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2004

Stationary Kolmogorov Solutions of the Smoluchowski Aggregation Equation with a Source Term

In this paper we show how the method of Zakharov transformations may be used to analyze the stationary solutions of the Smoluchowski aggregation equation for arbitrary homogeneous kernel. The resulting massdistributions are of Kolmogorov type in the sense that they carry a constant flux of mass from small masses to large. We derive a ``locality criterion'', expressed in terms of the asymptotic properties of the kernel, that must be satisfied in order for the Kolmogorov spectrum to be an admissiblesolution. Whether a given kernel leads to a gelation transition or not can be determined by computing the mass capacity of the Kolmogorov spectrum. As an example, we compute the exact stationary state for the family of kernels,$K_ζ(m_1,m_2)=(m_1m_2)^{ζ/2}$ which includes both gelling and non-gelling cases, reproducing the known solution in the case $ζ=0$. Surprisingly, the Kolmogorov constant is the same for all kernels in this family.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2003

A model differential equation for turbulence

A phenomenological turbulence model in which the energy spectrum obeys a nonlinear diffusion equation is presented. This equation respects the scaling properties of the original Navier-Stokes equations and it has the Kolmogorov -5/3 cascade and the thermodynamic equilibrium spectra as exact steady state solutions. The general steady state in this model contains a nonlinear mixture of the constant-flux and thermodynamic components. Such "warm cascade" solutions describe the bottleneck phenomenon of spectrum stagnation near the dissipative scale. Self-similar solutions describing a finite-time formation of steady cascades are analysed and found to exhibit nontrivial scaling behaviour.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2003

Non-stationary Spectra of Local Wave Turbulence

The evolution of the Kolmogorov-Zakharov (K-Z) spectrum of weak turbulence is studied in the limit of strongly local interactions where the usual kinetic equation, describing the time evolution of the spectral wave-action density, can be approximated by a PDE. If the wave action is initially compactly supported in frequency space, it is then redistributed by resonant interactions producing the usual direct and inverse cascades, leading to the formation of the K-Z spectra. The emphasis here is on the direct cascade. The evolution proceeds by the formation of a self-similar front which propagates to the right leaving a quasi-stationary state in its wake. This front is sharp in the sense that the solution remains compactly supported until it reaches infinity. If the energy spectrum has infinite capacity, the front takes infinite time to reach infinite frequency and leaves the K-Z spectrum in its wake. On the other hand, if the energy spectrum has finite capacity, the front reaches infinity within a finite time, t*, and the wake is steeper than the K-Z spectrum. For this case, the K-Z spectrum is set up from the right after the front reaches infinity. The slope of the solution in the wake can be related to the speed of propagation of the front. It is shown that the anomalous slope in the finite capacity case corresponds to the unique front speed which ensures that the front tip contains a finite amount of energy as the connection to infinity is made. We also introduce, for the first time, the notion of entropy production in wave turbulence and show how it evolves as the system approaches the stationary K-Z spectrum.

physics.flu-dyn↗