Bifurcations of a large-scale circulation in a quasi-bidimensional turbulent flow. (4th November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Michel, G.; Herault, J.; Pétrélis, F.; Fauve, S.
• Is Part Of: Europhysics letters. Volume 115:Number 6(2016:Sep.)
• Publication Date: 2016-11-04
• Subjects: 47.27.-i -- 47.27.De; Physics -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 530.05
• DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/115/64004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0295-5075

Abstract

Abstract: We report the experimental study of the bifurcations of a large-scale circulation that is formed over a turbulent flow generated by a spatially periodic forcing. After shortly describing how the flow becomes turbulent through a sequence of symmetry-breaking bifurcations, we focus our study on the transitions that occur within the turbulent regime. They are related to changes in the shape of the probability density function (PDF) of the amplitude of the large-scale flow. We discuss the nature of these bifurcations and how to model the shape of the PDF.