EPL, 84 (2008) 10011
DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/84/10011

Kolmogorov scaling from random force fields

M. H. Jensen¹, K. Sneppen¹ and L. Angheluta<sup>2

1</sup>   Niels Bohr Institute - Blegdamsvej 17, Dk 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark, EU (URL: http://cmol.nbi.dk.)
²   Center for Physics of Geological Processes, University of Oslo - Oslo, Norway

mhjensen@nbi.dk
sneppen@nbi.dk
luiza.angheluta@fys.uio.no

received 11 April 2008; accepted in final form 25 August 2008; published October 2008
published online 24 September 2008

Abstract
We show that the classical Kolmogorov and Richardson scaling laws in fully developed turbulence are consistent with a random Gaussian force field. Numerical simulations of a shell model for turbulence suggest that the fluctuations in the force (acceleration) field are scale independent throughout the inertial regime. We find that Lagrangian statistics of the relative velocity in a turbulent flow is determined by the typical force field, whereas the multiscaling is associated to extreme events in the force field fluctuations.

PACS
05.20.Jj - Statistical mechanics of classical fluids.
05.40.-a - Fluctuation phenomena, random processes, noise, and Brownian motion.
47.27.-i - Turbulent flows.

© EPLA 2008