Wave turbulence buildup in a vibrating plate

TL;DR

This paper investigates the process of wave turbulence development in a vibrating elastic plate through experiments and simulations, identifying three stages including linear, turbulent front propagation, and saturation, consistent with Weak Turbulence Theory.

Contribution

It provides combined experimental and numerical evidence for the stages of wave turbulence buildup in elastic plates, validating theoretical scaling predictions.

Findings

Identification of three distinct stages in wave turbulence buildup

Validation of Weak Turbulence Theory predictions for front propagation

Observation of long-term saturation due to dissipation

Abstract

We report experimental and numerical results on the buildup of the energy spectrum in wave turbulence of a vibrating thin elastic plate. Three steps are observed: first a short linear stage, then the turbulent spectrum is constructed by the propagation of a front in wave number space and finally a long time saturation due to the action of dissipation. The propagation of a front at the second step is compatible with scaling predictions from the Weak Turbulence Theory.