5m rotating experiment

We experimented our three dynamical ingredients in a nearly 5m rotating table at the Turlab facility in Turin, Italy. The tank was filled to a depth of approximately 50 cm with fresh water and the experimental device is rotating from 0.05 to 0.20 rad.s-1 with a periodically oscillating comb that forces turbulent motions near the water surface. Under rotation, the free surface becomes parabolic leading to the geometric deformation that mimics planetary sphericity.

This experiment is a laboratory atmosphere and large scale vortices develops with similar properties than the one observed in the Earth's atmosphere. In the sketch below, one can see the two black triangle that correspond to the area on which two cameras are recording the flow.

Rotation rate: 0.05 rad/s 0.16 rad/s

The schematic diagrams of the experimental arrangement shows a laser sheet in green that allow to measure particles motions on the free surface and fields of view of two top cameras.