dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaScaling of Huygens-front speedup in weakly random media
| Authors | Jackson R. Mayo, Alan R. Kerstein |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0702211 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0702211 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.physleta.2007.06.078 |
| Journal | Phys. Lett. A 372, 5 (2007) |
Abstract
Front propagation described by Huygens' principle is a fundamental mechanism of spatial spreading of a property or an effect, occurring in optics, acoustics, ecology and combustion. If the local front speed varies randomly due to inhomogeneity or motion of the medium (as in turbulent premixed combustion), then the front wrinkles and its overall passage rate (turbulent burning velocity) increases. The calculation of this speedup is subtle because it involves the minimum-time propagation trajectory. Here we show mathematically that for a medium with weak isotropic random fluctuations, under mild conditions on its spatial structure, the speedup scales with the 4/3 power of the fluctuation amplitude. This result, which verifies a previous conjecture while clarifying its scope, is obtained by reducing the propagation problem to the inviscid Burgers equation with white-in-time forcing. Consequently, field-theoretic analyses of the Burgers equation have significant implications for fronts in random media, even beyond the weak-fluctuation limit.
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"abstract": "Front propagation described by Huygens\u0027 principle is a fundamental mechanism\nof spatial spreading of a property or an effect, occurring in optics,\nacoustics, ecology and combustion. If the local front speed varies randomly due\nto inhomogeneity or motion of the medium (as in turbulent premixed combustion),\nthen the front wrinkles and its overall passage rate (turbulent burning\nvelocity) increases. The calculation of this speedup is subtle because it\ninvolves the minimum-time propagation trajectory. Here we show mathematically\nthat for a medium with weak isotropic random fluctuations, under mild\nconditions on its spatial structure, the speedup scales with the 4/3 power of\nthe fluctuation amplitude. This result, which verifies a previous conjecture\nwhile clarifying its scope, is obtained by reducing the propagation problem to\nthe inviscid Burgers equation with white-in-time forcing. Consequently,\nfield-theoretic analyses of the Burgers equation have significant implications\nfor fronts in random media, even beyond the weak-fluctuation limit.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0702211",
"authors": [
"Jackson R. Mayo",
"Alan R. Kerstein"
],
"categories": [
"physics.class-ph",
"nlin.CD"
],
"doi": "10.1016/j.physleta.2007.06.078",
"journal_ref": "Phys. Lett. A 372, 5 (2007)",
"title": "Scaling of Huygens-front speedup in weakly random media",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0702211"
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