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Three-dimensional instabilities and inertial waves in a rapidly rotating split-cylinder flow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2016

Juan M. Lopez  and
Paloma Gutierrez-Castillo
Juan M. Lopez*
Affiliation:
School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ 85287, USA
Paloma Gutierrez-Castillo
Affiliation:
School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ 85287, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: juan.m.lopez@asu.edu
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Abstract

The nonlinear dynamics of the flow in a differentially rotating split cylinder is investigated numerically. The differential rotation, with the top half of the cylinder rotating faster than the bottom half, establishes a basic state consisting of a bulk flow that is essentially in solid-body rotation at the mean rotation rate of the cylinder and boundary layers where the bulk flow adjusts to the differential rotation of the cylinder halves, which drives a strong meridional flow. There are Ekman-like layers on the top and bottom end walls, and a Stewartson-like side wall layer with a strong downward axial flow component. The complicated bottom corner region, where the downward flow in the side wall layer decelerates and negotiates the corner, is the epicentre of a variety of instabilities associated with the local shear and curvature of the flow, both of which are very non-uniform. Families of both high and low azimuthal wavenumber rotating waves bifurcate from the basic state in Eckhaus bands, but the most prominent states found near onset are quasiperiodic states corresponding to mixed modes of the high and low azimuthal wavenumber rotating waves. The frequencies associated with most of these unsteady three-dimensional states are such that spiral inertial wave beams are emitted from the bottom corner region into the bulk, along cones at angles that are well predicted by the inertial wave dispersion relation, driving the bulk flow away from solid-body rotation.

JFM classification

Boundary Layers: Boundary layer stability Instability: Nonlinear instability Geophysical and Geological Flows: Rotating flows
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 800 , 10 August 2016 , pp. 666 - 687
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Copyright
© 2016 Cambridge University Press 

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