Random matrix model of Kolmogorov-Zakharov turbulence

Abstract: We introduce and study a random matrix model of Kolmogorov-Zakharov turbulence in a nonlinear purely dynamical finite size system with many degrees of freedom. For the case of a direct cascade the energy and norm pumping takes place at low energy scales with absorption at high energies. For a pumping strength above a certain chaos border a global chaotic attractor appears with a stationary energy flow through a Hamiltonian inertial energy interval. In this regime, the steady-state norm distribution is described by an algebraic decay with an exponent in agreement with the Kolmogorov-Zakharov theory. Below the chaos border the system is located in the quasi-integrable regime similar to the Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser theory and the turbulence is suppressed. For the inverse cascade the system rapidly enters a strongly nonlinear regime where the weak turbulence description is invalid. We argue that such a dynamical turbulence is generic showing that it is present in other lattice models with disorder and Anderson localization. We point out that such dynamical models can be realized in multimode optical fibers.