Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T03:18:34.254Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The twists and turns of rotating turbulence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 January 2011

STUART B. DALZIEL
STUART B. DALZIEL*
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Turbulence is widely considered one of the most important and most difficult unsolved problems in classical physics. It is also the area of fluid mechanics where the greatest effort is exerted, the most papers published and, some would argue, the least progress made. Although direct numerical simulation is becoming an increasingly valuable tool, there remains a need for high-quality experiments to underpin our theoretical and numerical progress. Such statements apply equally to the ‘classical’ problem of homogeneous isotropic turbulence and to turbulence in its many other guises. Of particular interest is turbulence in a rotating system, where it is well known that the influence of rotation leads to the development of anisotropy and the elongation of scales parallel to the rotation axis. Moisy et al. (J. Fluid Mech., 2010, this issue, vol. 666, pp. 5–35) present new experiments in the free decay of grid-generated turbulence in a rotating system. They investigate the emergence of anisotropy from essentially isotropic initial conditions. While it is well known that rotation suppresses velocity gradients parallel to the rotation axis, Moisy et al. (2010) uncover some startling and previously overlooked implications.

JFM classification

Turbulent Flows: Rotating turbulence
Type
Focus on Fluids
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 666 , 10 January 2011 , pp. 1 - 4
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

References

Cambon, C., Mansour, N. N. & Godeferd, F. S. 1997 Energy transfer in rotating turbulence. J. Fluid Mech. 337, 303–332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalziel, S. B. 1992 Decay of rotating turbulence: some particle tracking experiments. Appl. Sci. Res. 49, 217–244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ibbetson, A. & Tritton, D. J. 1975 Experiments on turbulence in a rotating fluid. J. Fluid Mech. 68, 639–672.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacquin, L., Leuchter, O., Cambon, C. & Mathieu, J. 1990 Homogeneous turbulence in the presence of rotation. J. Fluid Mech. 220, 1–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kolvin, I., Cohen, K., Vardi, Y. & Sharon, E. 2009 Energy transfer by inertial waves during the buildup of turbulence in a rotating system. Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 014503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moisy, F., Morize, C., Rabaud, M. & Sommeria, J. 2010 Decay laws, anisotropy and cyclone–anticyclone asymmetry in decaying rotation turbulence. J. Fluid Mech. 666, 5–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, L. M. & Waleffe, F. 1999 Transfer of energy to two-dimensional large scales in forced, rotating three-dimensional turbulence. Phys. Fluids 11, 1608–1622.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Staplehurst, P. J., Davidson, P. A. & Dalziel, S. B. 2008 Structure formation in homogeneous freely-decaying, rotating turbulence. J. Fluid Mech. 598, 81–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar