The structure and the small-scale intermittency of passive scalars in homogeneous turbulence (Q1908500)

Results generated by direct numerical simulations are used to study the structure and the small-scale intermittency of a passive scalar contaminant in a homogeneous turbulent shear flow. Simulations are conducted of flows with and without a constant mean scalar gradient. In all cases, the probability density functions of the scalars adopt an approximate Gaussian distribution at the final stages of mixing. In the presence of the mean gradient, the scalar fields yield a nearly identical asymptotic state independent of initial conditions.