Evidences of Bolgiano-Obhukhov scaling in three-dimensional Rayleigh-Bénard convection

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2002 Jul;66(1 Pt 2):016304. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.66.016304. Epub 2002 Jul 22.

Abstract

We present different results from high-resolution high-statistics direct numerical simulations of a three-dimensional convective cell. We test the fundamental physical picture of the presence of both a Bolgiano-Obhukhov-like and a Kolmogorov-like regime. We find that the dimensional predictions for these two distinct regimes (characterized, respectively, by an active and passive role of the temperature field) are consistent with our analysis.