Turbulent Jet — Self-Similar Spreading

Centerline velocity decay ∝ 1/x, linear width growth, Gaussian profiles — turbulent entrainment

Centerline U(x) at exit
Half-width at x=200px
Entrainment flux
Virtual origin x₀

Physics (Pope, Rajaratnam)

Far-field self-similar turbulent jet (Townsend 1956):

U_c(x) = B·√(M₀)/(x−x₀) — centerline velocity

b(x) = S·(x−x₀) — half-width (linear!)

U(x,r) = U_c(x)·f(η), η = r/b(x)

The similarity profile f(η) ≈ exp(−(ln2)·η²) (Gaussian). Momentum flux M = ∫ρU²dA is conserved. Entrainment: ∂Q/∂x = S·√(M₀) — ambient fluid engulfed at rate ∝ x.

Self-similarity means all downstream profiles collapse onto a single curve when scaled by U_c and b — a universal attractor of turbulence dynamics.