Comment on 'Lie symmetry analysis of the Lundgren-Monin-Novikov equations for multi-point probability density functions of turbulent flow'

Abstract

The recent study by Waclawczyk et al. [J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 50, 175501 (2017)] possesses three shortcomings: (i) The analysis misses a key aspect of the LMN equations which makes their Lie-group symmetry results incomplete. In particular, two essential symmetries will break when including this aspect. (ii) The statements on the constraints regarding the infinite-dimensional symmetry groups are misleading. (iii) The particular symmetries originating solely from the linearity of the LMN hierarchy violate the classical principle of cause and effect and therefore are unphysical. Within this Comment we present a detailed proof to this claim and conclude with the note that the new study by Waclawczyk et al. gives an unrealistic outlook on deriving invariant symmetry solutions for velocity correlations that arise from intermittent processes.