Geometrical physics of the many vortex filament problem

Graduate Aeronautical Laboratories, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Received: 4 August 2003
Accepted: 13 January 2004

Abstract

We employ a model of fully structured decaying turbulence consisting of unconstrained, reconnecting vortex filaments with dynamic finite cores of uniform circulation, interacting via inertial and viscous forces. We show that the fractal dimension and the length of the vortex tangle approach constant values. The former is observed in the same range of scales as Kolmogorov's inertial range scaling. The curvature and torsion spectra show evidence of non-flat scalings corresponding to the inertial range. The vorticity along the core centerlines tends to align mostly with the intermediate eigenvector of the rate of strain tensor and to be normal to the expansive one.