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Updated: Mar 7, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Molecular-Level Simulations of Turbulence and Its Decay
M A Gallis1, N P Bitter1, T P Koehler1
1Engineering Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-0840, USA.
Molecular simulation methods can now accurately model gas turbulence decay. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method successfully reproduced key turbulence characteristics, validating its use for quantitative analysis.
Area of Science:
- Fluid Dynamics
- Computational Physics
- Kinetic Theory
Background:
- Turbulence simulation traditionally relies on continuum models like Navier-Stokes equations.
- Molecular-level phenomena in turbulent gas flows present significant simulation challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the capability of molecular-level methods for simulating gas turbulence.
- To validate the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method for quantitative turbulence analysis.
Main Methods:
- Application of the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method to the Taylor-Green vortex flow.
- Comparison of DSMC results with direct numerical simulations of Navier-Stokes equations.
Main Results:
- DSMC simulations accurately reproduced the Kolmogorov -5/3 law.
- Turbulent kinetic energy and energy dissipation rates from DSMC aligned well with continuum simulations.
Conclusions:
- Molecular-level gas kinetic theory methods, specifically DSMC, are effective for quantitative turbulence simulation.
- This opens new avenues for investigating complex turbulent gas flows at the molecular scale.
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