Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: We study the self-organization of turbulence in a geophysically motivated two-dimensional fluid with local interactions. Using simulations and theory, we show that the out-of-equilibrium flux to small scales imposes a constraint on the large-scale emergent flow. Consequently, a rich phase diagram of large-scale configurations emerges, replacing the unique state found in flows with energy injection below the interaction scale. We explain what sets the boundaries between the different phases and the occurrence of spontaneous symmetry breaking. This letter demonstrates that the selection mechanism of large-scale structures in quasigeostrophic flows can be dramatically altered by forcing above the interaction scale.
Source: Physical Review Letters
Authors: Anton Svirsky, Anna Frishman
Institution: Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Computational Mechanics
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1462444196, G8939238713
OpenAlex ID: W4410542007