Although statistical properties of small-scale velocity perturbations in homogeneous and isotropic hydrodynamic turbulence are well studied experimentally and numerically, no definite theoretical explanation is available yet. The concept of breaking vortices commonly accepted as the primary turbulent mechanism not only fails to account for a number of facts but also is self-contradictory. This review discusses an alternative concept according to which the stretching of vortices rather than their decay is the determining process. The evolution of stretching vortex filaments and their properties are derived directly from the Navier—Stokes equation. The model of stretching vortex filaments explains the power-law behavior of velocity structure functions and the intermittency of their exponents, thus imparting physical meaning to multifractal theory which is based on dimensional considerations. The vortex filaments model is the only theory that explains the observed differences between the scaling exponents of longitudinal and transverse structure functions.

Keywords: hydrodynamics, turbulence, statistical theory PACS: 47.10.ad, 47.27.Jv (all) DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.0185.201506b.0593 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2015/6/b/ 000361014200002 2015PhyU...58..556Z Citation: Zybin K P, Sirota V A "Stretching vortex filaments model and the grounds of statistical theory of turbulence" Phys. Usp. 58 556–573 (2015) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Received: 20th, January 2015, accepted: 20th, January 2015 Оригинал: Зыбин К П, Сирота В А «Модель вытягивающихся вихрей и обоснование статистических свойств турбулентности» УФН 185 593–612 (2015); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0185.201506b.0593