title: Numerical renormalization group of vortex aggregation in two-dimensional decaying turbulence: the role of three-body interactions
abstract: We introduce a numerical renormalization group procedure which permits long-time simulations of vortex dynamics and coalescence in a two-dimensional turbulent decaying fluid. The number of vortices decreases as N approximately t(-xi), with xi approximately 1 instead of the value xi=4/3 predicted by a naive kinetic theory. For short time, we find an effective exponent xi approximately 0.7 consistent with previous simulations and experiments. We show that the mean square displacement of surviving vortices grows as <x(2)> approximately t(1+xi/2). Introducing effective dynamics for two- and three-body collisions, we justify that only the latter become relevant at a small vortex area coverage. A kinetic theory consistent with this mechanism leads to xi=1. We find that the theoretical relations between kinetic parameters are all in good agreement with experiments.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique Quantique, UMR C5626 du CNRS, Universite Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse Cedex, France.
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sire
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Chavanis