Skew Fluxes in Polarized Wave Fields

Abstract

The scalar flux due to small amplitude waves that exhibit a preferred sense of rotation or polarization is shown to consist of a component. FS, that is skewed, being everywhere orthogonal to the mean scalar gradient, ?Q. The skew flux is parameterized by FS = ?D ?Q where D, a vector diffusivity, is a measure of particle mean angular momentum. The skew flux may affect the evolution of mean scalar since its divergence, ?·FS = US·?Q, may be nonzero if the velocity US≈?? ? D is up or down the mean gradient. For statistically steady waves, US corresponds to the Stokes velocity of particle drift. Integral theorems for new skew transport and the interpretation of fixed-point measurements are discussed, and the skew flux illustrated through several examples.