The onset and spatial development of turbulence in flow systems (Q1109633)

The self-generation and development of spatio-temporal chaos - turbulence - in flow systems, in particular in shear hydrodynamical flows, are analysed experimentally and theoretically. We construct chain models of such systems and use them for the investigation of the spatial bifurcations preceding the appearance of chaos (period doubling downstream, transition via quasiperiodicity, and so on). We give the renormalization group description of the complication of dynamics along the chain and study the ``order-chaos'' transition waves. The concepts of convective and absolute development of chaos in space are introduced for flow systems. The prospects of future investigations are discussed.