Ultimate Rayleigh-Bénard and Taylor-Couette turbulence
Rayleigh-Bénard flow - the flow in a box heated from below and cooled from
above - and Taylor-Couette flow - the flow between two coaxial co- or counter-rotating
cylinders - are the two paradigmatic systems in physics of fluids and many
new concepts have been tested with them. While the low Reynolds number regime
has been very well explored in the ’80s and ’90s of the last century, in the fully
turbulent regime major research activity only developed in the last two decades.
We will first review this recent progress in our understanding of fully developed
Rayleigh-Bénard (RB) and Taylor-Couette (TC) turbulence, from the experimental,
theoretical, and numerical point of view and discuss transitions between different
(turbulent) flow states. We will then focus on the so-called ultimate regime, in
which the boundary layer has become turbulent, and which therefore has enhanced
transport properties.
Contact Nathanaël Machicoane for more information or to schedule a discussion with the seminar speaker.