Two-Point Statistics of Coherent Structure in Turbulent Flow

Abstract

This review summarizes the coherent structures (CS) based on two-point correlations and their applications, with a focus on the interpretation of statistic CS and their characteristics. We review studies on this topic, which have attracted attention in recent years, highlighting improvements, expansions, and promising future directions for two-point statistics of CS in turbulent flow. The CS is one of typical structures of turbulent flow, transporting energy from large-scale to small-scale structures. To investigate the CS in turbulent flow, a large amount of two-point correlation techniques for CS identification and visualization have been, and are currently being, intensively studied by researchers. Two-point correlations with examples and comparisons between different methods are briefly reviewed at first. Some of the uses of correlations in both Eulerian and Lagrangian frames of reference to obtain their properties at consecutive spatial locations and time events are surveyed. Two-point correlations, involving space-time correlations, two-point spatial correlations, and cross correlations, as essential to theories and models of turbulence and for the analyses of experimental and numerical turbulence data are then discussed. The velocity-vorticity correlation structure (VVCS) as one of the statistical CS based on two-point correlations is reiterated in detail. Finally, we summarize the current understanding of two-point correlations of turbulence and conclude with future issues for this field.