Energy transfer by inertial waves during the buildup of turbulence in a rotating system

We study the transition from fluid at rest to turbulence in a rotating tank. The energy is transported by inertial wave packets through the fluid volume. These high amplitude waves propagate at velocities consistent with those calculated from linearized theory [H. P. Greenspan, (Cambridge University...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2009-01, Vol.102 (1), p.014503-014503
Main Authors: Kolvin, Itamar, Cohen, Kobi, Vardi, Yuval, Sharon, Eran
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:We study the transition from fluid at rest to turbulence in a rotating tank. The energy is transported by inertial wave packets through the fluid volume. These high amplitude waves propagate at velocities consistent with those calculated from linearized theory [H. P. Greenspan, (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 1968)]. A "front" in the temporal evolution of the energy power spectrum indicates a time scale for energy transport at the linear wave speed. Nonlinear energy transfer between modes is governed by a different, longer, time scale. The observed mechanisms can lead to significant differences between rotating and two-dimensional turbulent flows.
ISSN:0031-9007
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.014503