Self-Similar Decay in the Kraichnan Model of a Passive Scalar

We study the two-point correlation function of a freely decaying scalar in Kraichnan's model of advection by a Gaussian random velocity field that is stationary and white noise in time, but fractional Brownian in space with roughness exponent 0<<2, appropriate to the inertial-convective range of the scalar. We find all self-similar solutions by transforming the scaling equation to Kummer's equation. It is shown that only those scaling solutions with scalar energy decay exponent a(d/)+1 are statistically realizable, where d is space dimension and =2–. An infinite sequence of invariants J_p, p=0, 1, 2,..., is pointed out, where J₀ is Corrsin's integral invariant but the higher invariants appear to be new. We show that at least one of the invariants J₀ or J₁ must be nonzero (possibly infinite) for realizable initial data. Initial datum with a finite, nonzero invariant—the first being J_p—converges at long times to a scaling solution _p with a=(d/)+p, p=0, 1. The latter belongs to an exceptional series of self-similar solutions with stretched-exponential decay in space. However, the domain of attraction includes many initial data with power-law decay. When the initial datum has all invariants zero or infinite and also it exhibits power-law decay, then the solution converges at long times to a nonexceptional scaling solution with the same power-law decay. These results support a picture of a two-scale decay with breakdown of self-similarity for a range of exponents (d+)/<a<(d+2)/, analogous to what has recently been found in the decay of Burgers turbulence.