Stochastic estimation of organized turbulent structure: homogeneous shear flow

The large-scale organized structures of turbulent flow can be characterized quantitatively by a conditional eddy, given the local kinematic state of the flow as specified by the conditional average of u ( x ’, t ) given the velocity and the deformation tensor at a point x : 〈 u ( x ’, t )| u ( x , t ), d ( x , t )〉. By means of linear mean-square stochastic estimation, 〈 u ’| u , d 〉 is approximated in terms of the two-point spatial correlation tensor, and the conditional eddy is evaluated for arbitrary values of u ( x , t ) and d ( x , t ), permitting study of the turbulent field for a wide range of local kinematic states. The linear estimate is applied to homogeneous turbulent shear flow data generated by direct numerical simulation. The joint velocity-deformation probability density function is used to obtain conditions corresponding to those events that contribute most to the Reynolds shear stress. The primary contributions to the second-quadrant and fourth-quadrant Reynolds-stress events in homogeneous shear flow come from flow induced through the ‘legs’ and close to the ‘heads’ of upright and inverted ‘hairpins’, respectively. The equation governing the joint probability density function of f u,d ( u, d ) is derived. It is shown that this equation contains 〈 u ’/ u , d 〉 and that the equations for second-order closure can be derived from it. Closure requires approximation of 〈 u ’/ u , d 〉.