Energy transfer by inertial waves during the buildup of turbulence in a rotating system.
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.
Kolvin
Itamar
I
The Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
Cohen
Kobi
K
Vardi
Yuval
Y
Sharon
Eran
E