A quasi-local measure of inter-scale transfer: An approach to understanding turbulence

Many questions remain in turbulence research---and related fields---about the underlying physical processes that transfer scalar quantities, such as the kinetic energy, between different length scales. Measurement of an ensemble-averaged flux between scales has long been possible using a variety of techniques, but instantaneous, spatially-local realizations of the transfer have not. The ability to visualize scale-to-scale transfer as a field quantity is crucial for developing a clear picture of the physics underlying the transfer processes and the role played by flow structure. A general technique for obtaining these scale-to-scale transfer fields, called the filter approach, is described. The effects of different filters, finite system size, and limited resolution are explored for experimental and numerical data of two-dimensional turbulence.