Kraichnan–Leith–Batchelor similarity theory and two-dimensional inverse cascades

Abstract We study the scaling properties and Kraichnan–Leith–Batchelor (KLB) theory of forced inverse cascades in generalized two-dimensional (2D) fluids ( ${\it\alpha}$ -turbulence models) simulated at resolution $8192^{2}$ . We consider ${\it\alpha}=1$ (surface quasigeostrophic flow), ${\it\alpha}=2$ (2D Euler flow) and ${\it\alpha}=3$ . The forcing scale is well resolved, a direct cascade is present and there is no large-scale dissipation. Coherent vortices spanning a range of sizes, most larger than the forcing scale, are present for both ${\it\alpha}=1$ and ${\it\alpha}=2$ . The active scalar field for ${\it\alpha}=3$ contains comparatively few and small vortices. The energy spectral slopes in the inverse cascade are steeper than the KLB prediction $-(7-{\it\alpha})/3$ in all three systems. Since we stop the simulations well before the cascades have reached the domain scale, vortex formation and spectral steepening are not due to condensation effects; nor are they caused by large-scale dissipation, which is absent. One- and two-point p.d.f.s, hyperflatness factors and structure functions indicate that the inverse cascades are intermittent and non-Gaussian over much of the inertial range for ${\it\alpha}=1$ and ${\it\alpha}=2$ , while the ${\it\alpha}=3$ inverse cascade is much closer to Gaussian and non-intermittent. For ${\it\alpha}=3$ the steep spectrum is close to that associated with enstrophy equipartition. Continuous wavelet analysis shows approximate KLB scaling $\mathscr{E}(k)\propto k^{-2}~({\it\alpha}=1)$ and $\mathscr{E}(k)\propto k^{-5/3}~({\it\alpha}=2)$ in the interstitial regions between the coherent vortices. Our results demonstrate that coherent vortex formation ( ${\it\alpha}=1$ and ${\it\alpha}=2$ ) and non-realizability ( ${\it\alpha}=3$ ) cause 2D inverse cascades to deviate from the KLB predictions, but that the flow between the vortices exhibits KLB scaling and non-intermittent statistics for ${\it\alpha}=1$ and ${\it\alpha}=2$ .

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