TY - JOUR
T1 - On the origin of spin-up processes in decaying two-dimensional turbulence
AU - Keetels, G.H.
AU - Clercx, H.J.H.
AU - Heijst, van, G.J.F.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - A remarkable feature of two-dimensional turbulence in a square container with no-slip walls is the spontaneous production of angular momentum due to flow-wall interactions, also known as spontaneous spin-up of the flow. In this paper we address the statistics of spin-up and discuss its likely origin. A signature of the spontaneous production of angular momentum is the development of a large-scale circulation cell. It is found that the global turnover time of the flow guides the spin-up process, which can be considered as a relaxation process of the macroscopic flow to an angular momentum containing state. The high turnover rate of the small-scale vortical structures emerging from the no-slip walls apparently has no significant effect on the spin-up rate. The presented data on the spin-up process strongly suggest that spin-up is not the net result of isolated vortex-wall interactions, with its associated pressure fluctuations on the domain boundaries, alone. The rapid spin-up of the flow clearly suggests the attraction to an angular momentum containing state.
AB - A remarkable feature of two-dimensional turbulence in a square container with no-slip walls is the spontaneous production of angular momentum due to flow-wall interactions, also known as spontaneous spin-up of the flow. In this paper we address the statistics of spin-up and discuss its likely origin. A signature of the spontaneous production of angular momentum is the development of a large-scale circulation cell. It is found that the global turnover time of the flow guides the spin-up process, which can be considered as a relaxation process of the macroscopic flow to an angular momentum containing state. The high turnover rate of the small-scale vortical structures emerging from the no-slip walls apparently has no significant effect on the spin-up rate. The presented data on the spin-up process strongly suggest that spin-up is not the net result of isolated vortex-wall interactions, with its associated pressure fluctuations on the domain boundaries, alone. The rapid spin-up of the flow clearly suggests the attraction to an angular momentum containing state.
U2 - 10.1016/j.euromechflu.2009.06.004
DO - 10.1016/j.euromechflu.2009.06.004
M3 - Article
SN - 0997-7546
VL - 29
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - European Journal of Mechanics. B, Fluids
JF - European Journal of Mechanics. B, Fluids
IS - 1
ER -