A numerical study of vorticity layers in a two-dimensional stratified shear flow
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
title: A numerical study of vorticity layers in a two-dimensional stratified shear flow
zbMATH Open document ID: 0830.76075
DOI: 10.1007/BF00987581
author: C. Staquet
published in: Meccanica
publication date: 1996-01-28T00:00:00Z
review text: A numerical study is conducted to find out the conditions of occurrence of a secondary Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the thin layers (referred to as baroclinic layers) that form in a stably-stratified shear layer. For this purpose, three high resolution calculations of a moderately stratified shear layer have been carried out, at a fixed Reynolds number. The wavelength of the initial perturbation is progressively increased, starting from the fundamental wavelength predicted by linear stability theory up to twice this fundamental wavelength. The baroclinic layer of the flow is shown to lengthen and destabilize progressively from one calculation to the other, eventually bearing a secondary Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The structure and dynamics of the baroclinic layers of the three calculations are examined in the frame of a theoretical model proposed by \textit{G. M. Corcos} and \textit{F. S. Sherman} [J. Fluid Mech. 73, 241-264 (1976; Zbl 0317.76024)].
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 76M25
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 76V05
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 76E20
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 76D99
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 65M70
zbMATH DE Number: 761218
zbMATH Keywords: large-scale Kelvin-Helmholtz vortex
zbMATH Keywords: strain field
zbMATH Keywords: stagnation point region
zbMATH Keywords: secondary Kelvin-Helmholtz instability
zbMATH Keywords: baroclinic layers
MaRDI profile type: Publication
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description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 761218