Numerical study on evolution of subharmonic varicose low-speed streaks in turbulent channel flow

The evolution of two spanwise-aligned low-speed streaks in a wall turbulent flow, triggered by the instability of the subharmonic varicose (SV) mode, is studied by a direct numerical simulation (DNS) method in a small spatial-periodic channel. The results show that the SV low-speed streaks are self-sustained at the early stage, and then transform into subharmonic sinuous (SS) low-speed streaks. Initially, the streamwise vortex sheets are formed by shearing, and then evolve into zigzag vortex sheets due to the mutual induction. As the intensification of the SV low-speed streaks becomes prominent, the tilted streamwise vortex tubes and the V-like streamwise vortex tubes can be formed simultaneously by increasing \( + \frac{{\partial u}}{{\partial x}}\). When the SV low-speed streaks break down, new zigzag streamwise vortices will be generated, thus giving birth to the next sustaining cycle of the SV low-speed streaks. When the second breakdown happens, new secondary V-like streamwise vortices instead of zigzag streamwise vortices will be generated. Because of the sweep motion of the fluid induced by the secondary V-like streamwise vortices, each decayed low-speed streak can be divided into two parts, and each part combines with the part of another streak, finally leading to the formation of SS low-speed streaks.