{
  "id": "1811.12848",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2018-11-30T15:40:21.000Z",
  "updated": "2018-11-30T15:40:21.000Z",
  "title": "Revisiting Bolgiano-Obukhov scaling for stably stratified turbulence",
  "authors": [
    "Shadab Alam",
    "Anirban Guha",
    "Mahendra K. Verma"
  ],
  "categories": [
    "physics.flu-dyn"
  ],
  "abstract": "According to the celebrated Bolgiano-Obukhov phenomenology for moderately stably stratified turbulence, the energy spectrum in the inertial range shows a dual scaling; the kinetic energy follows (i) $\\sim k^{-11/5}$ for $k < k_B$, and (ii) $\\sim k^{-5/3}$ for $k > k_B$, where $k_B$ is Bolgiano wavenumber. The $k^{-5/3}$ scaling akin to passive scalar turbulence is a direct consequence of the assumption that buoyancy is insignificant for $k>k_B$. We revisit this assumption, and using constancy of kinetic and potential energy fluxes and simple theoretical analysis, we demonstrate an absence of the $ k^{-5/3}$ spectrum. This is because the velocity field at small scales is too weak to establish a constant kinetic energy flux as in passive scalar turbulence. Our findings may have important implications in the modelling of stably stratified turbulence.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2018-11-30T15:40:21.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "stably stratified turbulence",
      "revisiting bolgiano-obukhov scaling",
      "passive scalar turbulence",
      "constant kinetic energy flux",
      "potential energy fluxes"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 0,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable"
    }
  }
}