Understanding Turbulence Via Vortex Dynamics

Abstract

Turbulence research in the past half century has seen notable progress, even bursts of hectic activity, on three seemingly independent fronts: Statistical approaches starting in the forties (E.G. Kolmogorov 1941), structural approaches starting in the sixties (E.G. Kline et al 1967; Crow & Champagne 1971; Brown & Roshko 1974) and dynamical approaches starting in the eighties (E.G. Berge et al 1984). While researchers typically tend to show their partiality for one approach or another depending on their familiarity or ignorance, even sometimes displaying their disapproval or disdain for approaches outside their own preferred one, there should be little doubt that all the three approaches are helpful, perhaps even essential, to understand turbulence. There are few whose repertoire of expertise covers statistical, structural and dynamical turbulence. John Lumley is one such exception, having had made profound contributions in all three areas (E.G. Lumley 1970; 1980; Aubry etal 1988)