Pattern formation in the transition to turbulence in shear flows

Florian Sprung, EPFL. Part of the Leeds applied nonlinear dynamics seminars series.

Transitional turbulence in shear flows shows coexistence in space between laminar and turbulent regions. Spatial coexistence allows the formation of characteristic laminar-turbulent patterns. A well-known example is the emergence of oblique stripes in shear driven Couette flow which represents a regular pattern over chaotic motion. The shear flow in buoyancy driven inclined layer convection can lead to the formation of localized chaotic bursts within the regular pattern of convection rolls. Properties and origin of these patterns are studied numerically via dynamical analysis of fixed point solutions and periodic orbits of the governing equations which capture the local nature of the patterns.

Florian Sprung, EPFL