Inverse centrifugal effect induced by collective motion of vortices in rotating thermal convection

Ding, Shan-Shan1; Chong, Kai Leong2,5; Shi, Jun-Qiang1; Ding, Guang-Yu2,3,4; Lu, Hao-Yuan1; Xia, Ke-Qing2,3,4; Zhong, Jin-Qiang1

2021-09-22

10.1038/s41467-021-25838-3

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS   影响因子和分区

2041-1723

["When a fluid system is subject to strong rotation, centrifugal fluid motion is expected, i.e., denser (lighter) fluid moves outward (inward) from (toward) the axis of rotation. Here we demonstrate, both experimentally and numerically, the existence of an unexpected outward motion of warm and lighter vortices in rotating thermal convection. This anomalous vortex motion occurs under rapid rotations when the centrifugal buoyancy is sufficiently strong to induce a symmetry-breaking in the vorticity field, i.e., the vorticity of the cold anticyclones overrides that of the warm cyclones. We show that through hydrodynamic interactions the densely distributed vortices can self-aggregate into coherent clusters and exhibit collective motion in this flow regime. Interestingly, the correlation of the vortex velocity fluctuations within a cluster is scale-free, with the correlation length being proportional ( approximate to 30%) to the cluster length. Such long-range correlation leads to the counterintuitive collective outward motion of warm vortices. Our study brings insights into the vortex dynamics that are widely present in nature.","Ding et al. study the collective motion of densely packed vortices in rotating thermal convection. They uncover the counterintuitive effect of warmer and thus lighter vortices moving outward from the central axis of rotation, driven by long range, scale-free vortex correlations."]

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National Science Foundation of China[11772235,12072144,11572230] ; NSFC/RGC[11561161004,"N_CUHK437/15"] ; Hong Kong Research Grants Council[14301115,14302317]

Science & Technology - Other Topics

Multidisciplinary Sciences

WOS:000700360600026

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1.Tongji Univ, Sch Phys Sci & Engn, Shanghai 200092, Peoples R China
2.Chinese Univ Hong Kong, Dept Phys, Hong Kong, Peoples R China
3.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Ctr Complex Flows & Soft Matter Res, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
4.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mech & Aerosp Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
5.Shanghai Univ, Sch Mech & Engn Sci, Shanghai 200072, Peoples R China

Ding, Shan-Shan,Chong, Kai Leong,Shi, Jun-Qiang,et al. Inverse centrifugal effect induced by collective motion of vortices in rotating thermal convection[J]. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS,2021,12(1).

Ding, Shan-Shan.,Chong, Kai Leong.,Shi, Jun-Qiang.,Ding, Guang-Yu.,Lu, Hao-Yuan.,...&Zhong, Jin-Qiang.(2021).Inverse centrifugal effect induced by collective motion of vortices in rotating thermal convection.NATURE COMMUNICATIONS,12(1).

Ding, Shan-Shan,et al."Inverse centrifugal effect induced by collective motion of vortices in rotating thermal convection".NATURE COMMUNICATIONS 12.1(2021).