Repository logo
 

Fluctuation-induced force in homogeneous isotropic turbulence.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Ostilla-Mónico, Rodolfo  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7049-2432
Lee, Alpha A 

Abstract

Understanding force generation in nonequilibrium systems is a notable challenge in statistical physics. We uncover a fluctuation-induced force between two plates immersed in homogeneous isotropic turbulence using direct numerical simulations. The force is a nonmonotonic function of plate separation. The mechanism of force generation reveals an intriguing analogy with fluctuation-induced forces: In a fluid, energy and vorticity are localized in regions of defined length scales. When varying the distance between the plates, we exclude energy structures modifying the overall pressure on the plates. At intermediate plate distances, the intense vorticity structures (worms) are forced to interact in close vicinity between the plates. This interaction affects the pressure in the slit and the force between the plates. The combination of these two effects causes a nonmonotonic attractive force with a complex Reynolds number dependence. Our study sheds light on how length scale-dependent distributions of energy and high-intensity vortex structures determine Casimir forces.

Description

Keywords

4012 Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Engineering, 51 Physical Sciences, 40 Engineering, 5103 Classical Physics, 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Journal Title

Sci Adv

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2375-2548
2375-2548

Volume Title

6

Publisher

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)