The renormalization group (RG) theory of fully developed hydrodynamical turbulence is a new and developing field of research. This book gives a detailed and comprehensive review of the results obtained using this theory over the past 20 years. The authors have systematically adopted the highly successful field theoretic RG technique, which has a reliable base in the form of quantum- field renormalization theory, involves powerful and convenient methods of calculation such as analytic regularization and minimal subtractions, and allows one to obtain results which are difficult to achieve using other methods. In the first chapter the basic theory and technique are presented, while the next chapter deals with more advanced aspects of the theory, including the critical dimensions of various composite operators, infrared asymptotic behavior of scaling functions, the equation of spectral energy balance, and calculating the amplitudes in scaling laws. The third chapter presents a series of examples, such as turbulent convection of passive scalar admixture, the influence of anisotropy and gyrotropy, magnetohydrodynamical turbulence, and Langmuir turbulence of plasma. In contrast to more established disciplines, such as the theory of critical phenomena, in the RG theory of turbulence there is as yet no unique and generally accepted calculation technique. For this reason the authors also present the necessary information on the renormalization theory of the RG technique, making the subject accessible to a wide range of readers. The book will therefore be a useful source of reference for students and researchers in turbulence, statistical mechanics, and related fields, including those with no prior experience of using quantum-field techniques.

The contributions in the book are devoted to the memory of Michael E Fisher, and hence include many personal memories from people whose work was influenced by him. Also, the book is a collection of articles from leaders in the field of phase transitions and critical phenomena, to celebrate 50 years of the renormalization group and the 1972 paper by Wilson and Fisher. Many of the articles review, in tutorial form, the progress in the fields of phase transitions and the renormalization group.

This volume provides a general field-theoretical picture of critical phenomena and stochastic dynamics and helps readers develop a practical skill for calculations. This education on the practical skill sets this book apart: it is the first to give a full technical introduction to the field. Both general ideas and ...hard... calculations are presen

This thesis presents the application of non-perturbative, or functional, renormalization group to study the physics of critical stationary states in systems out-of-equilibrium. Two different systems are thereby studied. The first system is the diffusive epidemic process, a stochastic process which models the propagation of an epidemic within a population. This model exhibits a phase transition peculiar to out-of-equilibrium, between a stationary state where the epidemic is extinct and one where it survives. The present study helps to clarify subtle issues about the underlying symmetries of this process and the possible universality classes of its phase transition. The second system is fully developed homogeneous isotropic and incompressible turbulence. The stationary state of this driven-dissipative system shows an energy cascade whose phenomenology is complex, with partial scale-invariance, intertwined with what is called intermittency. In this work, analytical expressions for the space-time dependence of multi-point correlation functions of the turbulent state in 2- and 3-D are derived. This result is noteworthy in that it does not rely on phenomenological input except from the Navier-Stokes equation and that it becomes exact in the physically relevant limit of large wave-numbers. The obtained correlation functions show how scale invariance is broken in a subtle way, related to intermittency corrections.

Fluid turbulence is often referred to as `the unsolved problem of classical physics'. Yet, paradoxically, its mathematical description resembles quantum field theory. The present book addresses the idealised problem posed by homogeneous, isotropic turbulence, in order to concentrate on the fundamental aspects of the general problem. It is written from the perspective of a theoretical physicist, but is designed to be accessible to all researchers in turbulence, both theoretical and experimental, and from all disciplines. The book is in three parts, and begins with a very simple overview of the basic statistical closure problem, along with a summary of current theoretical approaches. This is followed by a precise formulation of the statistical problem, along with a complete set of mathematical tools (as needed in the rest of the book), and a summary of the generally accepted phenomenology of the subject. Part 2 deals with current issues in phenomenology, including the role of Galilean invariance, the physics of energy transfer, and the fundamental problems inherent in numerical simulation. Part 3 deals with renormalization methods, with an emphasis on the taxonomy of the subject, rather than on lengthy mathematical derivations. The book concludes with some discussion of current lines of research and is supplemented by three appendices containing detailed mathematical treatments of the effect of isotropy on correlations, the properties of Gaussian distributions, and the evaluation of coefficients in statistical theories.

This book is based on the lectures delivered at the 19th Canberra International Physics Summer School held at the Australian National University in Canberra (Australia) in January 2006.The problem of turbulence and coherent structures is of key importance in many fields of science and engineering. It is an area which is vigorously researched across a diverse range of disciplines such as theoretical physics, oceanography, atmospheric science, magnetically confined plasma, nonlinear optics, etc. Modern studies in turbulence and coherent structures are based on a variety of theoretical concepts, numerical simulation techniques and experimental methods, which cannot be reviewed effectively by a single expert.The main goal of these lecture notes is to introduce state-of-the-art turbulence research in a variety of approaches (theoretical, numerical simulations and experiments) and applications (fluids, plasmas, geophysics, nonlinear optical media) by several experts. A smooth introduction is presented to readers who are not familiar with the field, while reviewing the most recent advances in the area. This collection of lectures will provide a useful review for both postgraduate students and researchers new to the advancements in this field, as well as specialists seeking to expand their knowledge across different areas of turbulence research.

This volume provides a general field-theoretical picture of critical phenomena and stochastic dynamics and helps readers develop a practical skill for calculations. This education on the practical skill sets this book apart: it is the first to give a full technical introduction to the field. Both general ideas and ...hard... calculations are presen