Scalar diffusion in simulated helical turbulence with molecular diffusivity

Abstract

We extend the simulation techniques of Kraichnan (1970, 1976) to study the effective diffusivity of a scalar field in a turbulent fluid. In our model we have introduced an adjustable helicity parameter and a technique for simulating molecular diffusivity. The results show that for non-helical turbulence the self-consistent perturbation theory of Phythian & Curtis (1978) gives excellent values for the effective diffusivity over a wide range of values for both the molecular diffusivity and the parameters describing the turbulence. This ceases to be the case immediately the helicity is given a non-zero value. Wide departures are observed between the theoretical calculation and the simulation. Our conclusion is that non-perturbative effects are very important in the presence of helicity.