|
 |
"Unweaving the whirls," by Joël Sommeria. Nature, 11 October 2001, page 575.
This one-page article gives a brief and lucid description of turbulence, a concept that applies to complex, agitated, eddy-filled flow in fluids of all kinds, from Jupiter's great red spot to the oceans on earth. The Navier-Stokes equations provide a mathematical description of fluid flow, but they cannot predict turbulence. While computer simulations have helped, they are still not detailed enough to provide the needed insights. The article discusses some of the main challenges facing scientists trying to understand turbulence. "There will be no single breakthrough," the article states. "[W]e face deep questions about information processing and probabilities, and about the very meaning of scientific understanding and prediction."
--- Allyn Jackson
 |
Comments: Email Webmaster |
