On the properties of steady states in turbulent axisymmetric flows
arXiv:cond-mat/0601582 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.124502
Abstract
We experimentally study the properties of mean and most probable velocity fields in a turbulent von Kármán flow. These fields are found to be described by two families of functions, as predicted by a recent statistical mechanics study of 3D axisymmetric flows. We show that these functions depend on the viscosity and on the forcing. Furthermore, when the Reynolds number is increased, we exhibit a tendency for Beltramization of the flow, i.e. a velocity-vorticity alignment. This result provides a first experimental evidence of nonlinearity depletion in non-homogeneous non-isotropic turbulent flow.
latex prl-stationary-051215arxiv.tex, 9 files, 6 figures, 4 pages (http://www-drecam.cea.fr/spec/articles/S06/008/)