Time-Periodic Inertial Range Dynamics

Abstract

A wide class of physical systems exhibit scale invariance. While the statistical properties of such behavior can often be investigated by theoretical and experimental means, its dynamics are notoriously hard to parse. We investigate scale-invariant dynamics through an unstable periodic orbit. This orbit coexists with turbulence of an incompressible fluid and yields a significant Kolmogorov energy spectrum. We identify events of intense energy transfer across spatial scales and relate them to vortical dynamics. The results support a recently proposed mechanism for turbulent energy transfer.