Abstract
Debates about hydrodynamic stability and the origins of turbulence are often based on the phenomena observable in Taylor's experiment1 on the flow between concentric circular cylinders, the inner of which rotates while the outer is stationary. To reappraise a central aspect of this subject, we report here the effects of annulus length on the limit of stability for various steady cellular flows. For comparatively small values of the aspect ratio Γ, unforeseen behaviour has been observed indicating enormous sensitivity to end effects. In particular, plots of critical Reynolds number Rw against Γ are sharply peaked, and the form of oscillations arising at the stability limit changes in successive ranges of Γ. The new phenomena are beyond the reach of any present theory, and they highlight the need for caution when transition observations are interpreted.
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Mullin, T., Brooke Benjamin, T. Transition to oscillatory motion in the Taylor experiment. Nature 288, 567–569 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/288567a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/288567a0
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