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

Shan-Shan Ding, Kai Leong Chong, Jun-Qiang Shi, Guang-Yu Ding, Hao-Yuan Lu, Ke-Qing Xia () and Jin-Qiang Zhong ()
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Shan-Shan Ding: Tongji University
Kai Leong Chong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Jun-Qiang Shi: Tongji University
Guang-Yu Ding: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hao-Yuan Lu: Tongji University
Ke-Qing Xia: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Jin-Qiang Zhong: Tongji University

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract 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 ( ≈ 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.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25838-3

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