Flux correlations in supersonic isothermal turbulence

摘要

Using data from a large-scale three-dimensional simulation of supersonic isothermal turbulence, we have tested the validity of an exact flux relation derived analytically from the Navier-Stokes equation by Falkovich, Fouxon & Oz (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 644, 2010, p. 465). That relation, for compressible barotropic fluids, was derived assuming turbulence generated by a large-scale force. However, compressible turbulence in simulations is usually initialized and maintained by a large-scale acceleration, as in gravity-driven astrophysical flows. We present a new approximate flux relation for isothermal turbulence driven by a large-scale acceleration, and find it in reasonable agreement with the simulation results.