Inhibition of turbulent cascade by sweep

Abstract

The effects of large-scale sweeping velocity on the turbulent cascade to small scales are examined for two problems: the advection of a passive scalar by a multivariate-Gaussian velocity field and incompressible Alfvén-wave turbulence. In both cases, the sweeping produces anisotropy and reduces the strength of cascade. If the direction of the sweep velocity varies with time, a balance is reached between this anisotropy and isotropizing effects associated with the change of direction.