Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Measurements of Waves in a Wind-wave Tank Under Steady and Time-varying Wind Forcing
Published on: February 13, 2018
Physical mechanism behind zonal-flow generation in drift-wave turbulence
1Institut für Plasmaforschung, Universität Stuttgart, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
Abstract:
The energetic interaction between drift-wave turbulence and zonal flows is studied experimentally in two-dimensional wave number space. The kinetic energy is found to be transferred nonlocally from the drift waves to the zonal flow. This confirms the theoretical prediction that the parametric-modulational instability is the driving mechanism of zonal flows. The physical mechanism of this nonlocal energetic interaction between and zonal flows and turbulent drift-wave eddies in relation to the suppression of turbulent transport is discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Turbulent Flow
Irrotational Flow
Plane Electromagnetic Waves I
The EM field is assumed to be a...
Steady, Laminar Flow Between Parallel Plates
Drift Velocity
Boundary Layer Characteristics

