EDQNM model of a passive scalar with a uniform mean gradient

Dynamic equations for the scalar autocorrelation and scalar-velocity cross correlation spectra have been derived for a passive scalar with a uniform mean gradient using the Eddy Damped Quasi Normal Markovian (EDQNM) theory. The presence of a mean gradient in the scalar field makes all correlations involving the scalar axisymmetric with respect to the axis pointing in the direction of the mean gradient. Equivalently, all scalar spectra will be functions of the wave number k and the cosine of the azimuthal angle designated as μ. In spite of this complication, it is shown that the cross correlation vector can be completely characterized by a single scalar function Q(k). The scalar autocorrelation spectrum, in contrast, has an unknown dependence on μ. However, this dependency can be expressed as an infinite sum of Legendre polynomials of μ, as first suggested by Herring [Phys. Fluids 17, 859 (1974)]. Furthermore, since the scalar field is initially zero, terms beyond the second order of the Legendre expansion are shown to be exactly zero. The energy, scalar autocorrelation, and scalar-velocity cross correlation were solved numerically from the EDQNM equations and compared to results from direct numerical simulations. The results show that the EDQNM theory is effective in describing single-point and spectral statistics of a passive scalar in the presence of a mean gradient.