Instabilities, bifurcations, and multiple solutions in expanding channel flows

Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Oct 6;97(14):144502. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.144502. Epub 2006 Oct 2.

Abstract

We present an experimental realization of the classical Jeffery-Hamel flows inside a wedge-shaped channel. We compare the measured velocity fields with the predictions of Jeffery-Hamel theory. A detailed experimental study of bifurcation diagrams for the solutions reveals the absolute stability of the pure outflow solution and an interesting hysteretic structure for bifurcations. We also observe a multiple-vortex flow regime predicted earlier numerically and analytically.