Angular Velocity of Kolmogorov-Scale Fibers as Proxy for Turbulent Dissipation
Abstract
We introduce a fiber-based method to directly measure turbulent energy dissipation. Combining original measurements of the full-body rotation-tumbling and spinning-of short, Kolmogorov-scale fibers in turbulent channel flow with direct numerical simulations using a point-fiber model, we show that the mean-square angular velocity closely reproduces the mean dissipation rate. The method is accurate both in the nearly homogeneous turbulence of the channel center and in the logarithmic layer, with a mean deviation below 6%, demonstrating that Kolmogorov-scale fibers provide a robust and reliable tool for quantifying dissipation.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Particle Dynamics in Fluid Flows
Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows
Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Physical Review Letters
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Volume
- 136
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 054001–054001
- Publication date
- 2 January 2026
- Language
- EN