Full Program »

An experimental study of baroclinic wave transitions in a differentially heated rotating annulus with sloping bottom topography

PDF
1.2MB

A series of laboratory experiments has been carried out in a thermally driven rotating annulus to observe the transition phenomena between the different (axially symmetric, regular and turbulent) flow regimes and the onset of baroclinic instability. The boundaries of the regimes have been systematically mapped and their positions have been expressed in a two-dimensional phase space described by appropriate non-dimensional temperature and rotation rate parameters. A significant shift of these regime boundaries has been observed once a sloping bottom end wall was added to the setup. A transient wave flow regime has also been clearly identified between the axially symmetric and the stable wave flow phases both in the case of flat and sloping bottom topographies. The results have been compared to recent numerical studies

Author(s):

Miklos Vincze    
Department of Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus
Germany

Uwe Harlander    
Department of Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus
Germany

Christoph Egbers    
Department of Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus
Germany

Thomas von Larcher    
Institute for Mathematics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin
Germany