Basis for finding exact coherent states.

One of the outstanding problems in the dynamical systems approach to turbulence is to find a sufficient number of invariant solutions to characterize the underlying dynamics of turbulence [Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 44, 203 (2012)10.1146/annurev-fluid-120710-101228]. As a practical matter, the solutions can be difficult to find. To improve this situation, we show how to find periodic orbits and equilibria in plane Couette flow by projecting pseudorecurrent segments of turbulent trajectories onto the left-singular vectors of the Navier-Stokes equations linearized about the relevant mean flow (resolvent modes). The projections are, subsequently, used to initiate Newton-Krylov-hookstep searches, and new (relative) periodic orbits and equilibria are discovered. We call the process project-then-search and validate the process by first applying it to previously known fixed point and periodic solutions. Along the way, we find new branches of equilibria, which include bifurcations from previously known branches, and new periodic orbits that closely shadow turbulent trajectories in state space.

Low-dimensional representations of exact coherent states of the Navier-Stokes equations from the resolvent model of wall turbulence.

We report that many exact invariant solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations for both pipe and channel flows are well represented by just a few modes of the model of McKeon and Sharma [J. Fluid Mech. 658, 336 (2010)]. This model provides modes that act as a basis to decompose the velocity field, ordered by their amplitude of response to forcing arising from the interaction between scales. The model was originally derived from the Navier-Stokes equations to represent turbulent flows and has been used to explain coherent structure and to predict turbulent statistics. This establishes a surprising new link between the two distinct approaches to understanding turbulence.