Zonal Flow as Pattern Formation: Merging Jets and the Ultimate Jet Length Scale

[摘要] Zonal flows are well known to arise spontaneously out of turbulence. It is shown that for statisti- cally averaged equations of quasigeostrophic turbulence on a beta plane, zonal flows and inhomoge- neous turbulence fit into the framework of pattern formation. There are many implications. First, the zonal flow wavelength is not unique. Indeed, in an idealized, infinite system, any wavelength within a certain continuous band corresponds to a solution. Second, of these wavelengths, only those within a smaller subband are linearly stable. Unstable wavelengths must evolve to reach a stable wavelength; this process manifests as merging jets.

[发布日期] 2013-01-30

[学科分类] 原子、分子光学和等离子物理

[关键词] Drift Waves;Geophysical Applications;Turbulence