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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2018
Momentum and energy transport by buoyancy-Coriolis waves is illustrated by means of a simple model example. The need for careful consideration of a complete problem for mean-flow evolution is emphasised, especially when moving media are involved. Then a recent generalisation of the wave-action and pseudomomentum concepts is introduced, and used to exhibit in a very general way the roles of wave dissipation, forcing, or transience in the mean flow problem, for a certain class of ‘nearly-unidirectional’ mean flows. This class includes differentially-rotating stellar interiors, which could well be systematically changed by wave transport of angular momentum. Similar results hold for MHD and self-gravitating fluids. Finally the physical distinction between momentum and pseudomomentum is discussed.