Towards a Quantum Fluid Mechanical Theory of Turbulence

TL;DR

This paper proposes a quantum fluid mechanical framework for turbulence, suggesting that turbulence in all fluids stems from quantum effects and explaining Kolmogorov scaling through a field theory approach with quantum vorticity.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum fluid mechanical theory of turbulence that accounts for classical Kolmogorov scaling via quantum vorticity modeled as filamentary strings.

Findings

Turbulence in superfluid helium follows Kolmogorov scaling.

Quantum effects may underlie turbulence in all fluids.

Quantum vorticity as filamentary strings explains turbulence statistics.

Abstract

Recent studies of turbulence in superfluid Helium indicate that turbulence in quantum fluids obeys a Kolmogorov scaling law. Such a law was previously attributed to classical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations of motion. It is suggested that turbulence in all fluids is due to quantum fluid mechanical effects. Employing a field theoretical view of the fluid flow velocity, vorticity appears as quantum filamentary strings. This in turn leads directly to the Kolmogorov critical indices for the case of fully developed turbulence.