  The characterization of heat and momentum fluxes in wall-bounded turbulence
is of paramount importance for a plethora of applications, ranging from
engineering to Earth sciences. However, how the turbulent structures associated
with velocity and temperature fluctuations interact to produce the emergent
flux signatures, is not evident till date. In this work, we investigate this
fundamental issue by studying the switching patterns of intermittently
occurring turbulent fluctuations from one state to another, a phenomenon called
persistence. We discover that the persistence patterns for heat and momentum
fluxes are widely different. Moreover, we uncover power-law scaling and length
scales of turbulent motions that cause this behavior. Furthermore, by
separating the phases and amplitudes of flux events, we explain the origin and
differences between heat and momentum transfer efficiencies in convective
turbulence. Our findings provide new understanding on the connection between
flow organization and flux generation mechanisms, two cornerstones of
turbulence research.
