Turbulence and columnar vortex formation through inertial-wave focusing

Matias Duran-Matute (1) , Jan-Bert Flór (1) , Fabien S. Godeferd (2) , Cl‚ément Jause-Labert (2)

1 LEGI - Laboratoire des Écoulements Géophysiques et Industriels [Grenoble]
2 LMFA - Laboratoire de Mecanique des Fluides et d'Acoustique

In this experimental and numerical study, we consider the role of inertial waves in the inverse energy cascade and the transfer of momentum in a rotating fluid. An oscillating torus generates two inertial-wave cones with their energy focusing at their apex. For high wave amplitudes, turbulence is generated locally around the focal point, resulting in angular momentum mixing and the generation of a columnar cyclonic vortex. The results suggest that nonlinear dynamics is essential for the wave induced momentum transport towards columnar vortices in rotating turbulence.

Domaines: Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]

Matias Duran-Matute, Jan-Bert Flór, Fabien S. Godeferd, Cl‚ément Jause-Labert. Turbulence and columnar vortex formation through inertial-wave focusing. Physical Review E : Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2013, 87, pp.041001. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevE.87.041001⟩. ⟨hal-00931429⟩