The observation of a shear flow instability in a rotating system with a soap membrane

Y. Couder

A pattern of driven vortices can be observed in the shear layer created in a fluid by a rotation movement. We present such an experiment where a liquid membrane is used to close a thin experimental volume of air thus forming a wall with the following properties : — The parallel component of the fluid velocity does not have to be zero at the boundary. — The interference fringes provide a good visualization of the isobars of the flow.

Mots clés: flow instability; shear flow; vortices; shear flow instability; rotating system; soap membrane; driven vortices; interference fringes; isobars

Domaines: Articles anciens

Y. Couder. The observation of a shear flow instability in a rotating system with a soap membrane. Journal de Physique Lettres, 1981, 42 (19), pp.429-431. ⟨10.1051/jphyslet:019810042019042900⟩. ⟨jpa-00231966⟩