Experimental lateral wall boundary layer behavior of a differentially rotating split-cylinder flow

Abstract

The cylindrical wall boundary layer of a closed cylinder split in two halves at the equator is studied experimentally. When these two parts rotate in exact corotation the internal flow is essentially in solid-body rotation at the angular velocity of both halves. When a slight difference between the rotation frequencies is established a secondary flow is created due to the differential rotation between both sides and restricted to the boundary layer. This behavior of the boundary layer is compared with theoretical and numerical results finding the ¿sandwich¿ structure of a Stewartson boundary layer. Time-dependent waves are observed near the cylindrical wall. Their behavior for different values of the control parameters are presented. Finally, a global recirculation mode is also found due to a symmetry-breaking induced between sides that appears because of a slight misalignment of the experimental setup, whose characteristics are compatible with the behavior of a precessing cylinder.