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Published May 10, 2012 | Published
Journal Article Open

Adiabatic Heating of Contracting Turbulent Fluids

Abstract

Turbulence influences the behavior of many astrophysical systems, frequently by providing non-thermal pressure support through random bulk motions. Although turbulence is commonly studied in systems with constant volume and mean density, turbulent astrophysical gases often expand or contract under the influence of pressure or gravity. Here, we examine the behavior of turbulence in contracting volumes using idealized models of compressed gases. Employing numerical simulations and an analytical model, we identify a simple mechanism by which the turbulent motions of contracting gases "adiabatically heat," experiencing an increase in their random bulk velocities until the largest eddies in the gas circulate over a Hubble time of the contraction. Adiabatic heating provides a mechanism for sustaining turbulence in gases where no large-scale driving exists. We describe this mechanism in detail and discuss some potential applications to turbulence in astrophysical settings.

Additional Information

© 2012 American Astronomical Society. Received 2012 January 7; accepted 2012 March 20; published 2012 April 19. B.E.R. is grateful for generous support from the University of Arizona and Steward Observatory. P.M.G. thanks Jungyeon Cho and Dongsu Ryu for helpful conversations. The simulations presented in this work were performed on the pangu cluster at the California Institute of Technology Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences.

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