Abstract
It is known that scale invariance is broken in the developed hydrodynamic turbulence due to intermittency, substantiating the complexity of turbulent flows. Here we challenge the concept of broken scale invariance by establishing a hidden self-similarity in intermittent turbulence. Using a simplified (shell) model, we derive a nonlinear spatiotemporal scaling symmetry of inviscid equations, which are reformulated in terms of intrinsic times introduced at different scales of motion. Numerical analysis persuasively confirms that this symmetry is restored in a statistical sense within the inertial interval. At the end, we discuss the implications of this result for real turbulence problems.
- Received 30 April 2020
- Accepted 11 December 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.6.L012601
©2021 American Physical Society