Routes to stratified turbulence and temporal intermittency revealed by a cluster-based network model of experimental data
File(s)Lefauve_2025_EPL_149_53001.pdf (5.5 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Lefauve, Adrien
Cheung, Yui Hin Marvil
Jiang, Xianyang
Couchman, Miles MP
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Modelling fluid turbulence using a "skeleton" of coherent structures has traditionally progressed by focusing on a few canonical laboratory experiments such as pipe flow and Taylor-Couette flow. We here consider the stratified inclined duct, a sustained shear flow whose density stratification allows for the exploration of a wealth of new coherent and intermittent states at significantly higher Reynolds numbers than in unstratified flows. We automatically identify the underlying turbulent skeleton of this experiment with a data-driven method combining dimensionality reduction and unsupervised clustering of shadowgraph visualisations. We demonstrate the existence of multiple types of turbulence across parameter space and intermittent cycling between them, revealing distinct transition pathways. With a cluster-based network model of intermittency we uncover patterns in the transition probabilities and residence times under increasing levels of turbulent dissipation. Our method and results pave the way for new reduced-order models of multi-physics turbulence.
Date Issued
2025-03-01
Date Acceptance
2025-02-21
Citation
Europhysics Letters, 2025, 149 (5)
ISSN
0295-5075
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Journal / Book Title
Europhysics Letters
Volume
149
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The author(s). Published by the EPLA under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY). Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.
License URL
Identifier
10.1209/0295-5075/adb908
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 53001
Date Publish Online
2025-03-21