A Glimpse at Rapidly Rotating Turbulence

Abstract

Abstract Laboratory experiments of rapidly rotating turbulence show that, shortly after the turbulence is created, columnar eddies aligned with the rotation axis emerge on a fast timescale that is associated with inertial wave propagation. In particular, the columnar vortices elongate along the rotation axis at the group velocity of low-frequency inertial waves. The experimental evidence in support of this statement is reviewed, both for inhomogeneous and homogeneous turbulence, and a physical interpretation for the emergence of columnar eddies is offered. These columnar vortices play an important role in many rotating flows, dominating the dynamics of the large turbulent eddies.