title: Energy transfer by inertial waves during the buildup of turbulence in a rotating system.
abstract: We study the transition from fluid at rest to turbulence in a rotating tank. The energy is transported by inertial wave packets through the fluid volume. These high amplitude waves propagate at velocities consistent with those calculated from linearized theory [H. P. Greenspan, (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 1968)]. A "front" in the temporal evolution of the energy power spectrum indicates a time scale for energy transport at the linear wave speed. Nonlinear energy transfer between modes is governed by a different, longer, time scale. The observed mechanisms can lead to significant differences between rotating and two-dimensional turbulent flows.
authors.affiliation: The Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Itamar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kolvin
authors.forename: Kobi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vardi
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sharon