Traveling waves in low and intermediate rotating spherical shell convection

Abstract

The spherical shell convection in the lower rotational regime is discussed with numerical simulation by the use of a pseudo-spectral code and experimental observation by the use of a microgravity experiment in self-gravitating force field. While a low Coriolis force produces traveling waves of cubic, five-fold and frozen tetrahedral symmetry with a prograde drift, in the transition zone to chaos an axisymmetric flow is visible. The chaotic fluid flow does neither show a specific drift nor a dominating pattern of convection. Numerical and experimental data are in a good agreement.