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Updated: May 2, 2026

Three-dimensional Particle Tracking Velocimetry for Turbulence Applications: Case of a Jet Flow
Published on: February 27, 2016
Transient growth of Ekman-Couette flow
Liang Shi1, Björn Hof2, Andreas Tilgner3
1Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany and Institute of Geophysics, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Abstract:
Coriolis force effects on shear flows are important in geophysical and astrophysical contexts. We report a study on the linear stability and the transient energy growth of the plane Couette flow with system rotation perpendicular to the shear direction. External rotation causes linear instability. At small rotation rates, the onset of linear instability scales inversely with the rotation rate and the optimal transient growth in the linearly stable region is slightly enhanced ∼Re2. The corresponding optimal initial perturbations are characterized by roll structures inclined in the streamwise direction and are twisted under external rotation. At large rotation rates, the transient growth is significantly inhibited and hence linear stability analysis is a reliable indicator for instability.
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