Zonal Flow as Pattern Formation: Merging Jets and the Ultimate Jet Length Scale
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.
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE PI Office of Climate Change Policy and Technology (PI-50)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-ACO2-09CH11466
- OSTI ID:
- 1062392
- Report Number(s):
- PPPL-4851
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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