Coherent structures in the linearized impulse response of turbulent channel flow

Abstract

We study the evolution of velocity fluctuations due to an isolated spatio-temporal impulse using the linearized Navier-Stokes equations. The impulse is introduced as an external body force in incompressible channel flow at . Velocity fluctuations are defined about the turbulent mean velocity profile. A turbulent eddy viscosity is added to the equations to fix the mean velocity as an exact solution, which also serves to model the dissipative effects of the background turbulence on large-scale fluctuations. An impulsive body force produces flow fields that evolve into coherent structures containing long streamwise velocity streaks that are flanked by quasi-streamwise vortices; some of these im..