2018/08/31 by Tobias Vogt, Susanne Horn, Alexander M. Grannan +3 · 82 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Classical mechanics #Convection #Engineering #Fluid Dynamics and Thin Films #Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows #Fluid Dynamics and Vibration Analysis #Jump #Mechanical engineering #Mechanics #Physics #Rope #Turbulence #Vortex #physics.flu-dyn
paper · pdf · doi:10.1073/pnas.1812260115
published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115(50), 12674-12679 (National Academy of Sciences)
arxiv created 2018/08/31 · openalex publication_date 2018/11/21 · arxiv updated 2021/03/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Significance The large-scale circulation (LSC) is the key dynamical feature of turbulent thermal convection. It is the underlying structure that shapes the appearance of geo- and astrophysical systems, such as the solar granulation or cloud streets, and the cornerstone of theoretical models. Our laboratory-numerical experiments reveal that the LSC can perform a fully 3D motion resembling a twirling jump rope. The discovery of this LSC mode implies that the currently accepted paradigm of a quasi-planar oscillating LSC needs to be augmented. Moreover, it provides an important link between studies in confined geometries used in experiments and simulations and the effectively unconfined fluid layers in natural settings where an agglomeration of LSCs forms larger patterns.