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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Investigating the Three-dimensional Flow Separation Induced by a Model Vocal Fold Polyp
Published on: February 3, 2014
Asymmetric, helical, and mirror-symmetric traveling waves in pipe flow
Chris C T Pringle1, Rich R Kerswell
1Department of Mathematics, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TW, United Kingdom. Chris.Pringle@bris.ac.uk
Abstract:
New families of three-dimensional nonlinear traveling waves are discovered in pipe flow. In contrast with known waves [H. Faisst and B. Eckhardt, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 224502 (2003); H. Wedin and R. R. Kerswell, J. Fluid Mech. 508, 333 (2004), they possess no discrete rotational symmetry and exist at a significantly lower Reynolds numbers (Re). First to appear is a mirror-symmetric traveling wave which is born in a saddle node bifurcation at Re=773. As Re increases, "asymmetric" modes arise through a symmetry-breaking bifurcation. These look to be a minimal coherent unit consisting of one slow streak sandwiched between two fast streaks located preferentially to one side of the pipe. Helical and nonhelical rotating waves are also found, emphasizing the richness of phase space even at these very low Reynolds numbers.
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