- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine
Access Provided by Xinjiang University

Physical Review Fluids

Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Open Access
  • Access by Xinjiang University

Experimental evidence for jump rope vortices in turbulent convective superstructures

Nayoung Kim

Felix Schindler

Sylvie Su

Sven Eckert*

Tobias Vogt†

  • *Contact author: s.eckert@hzdr.de
  • †Contact author: t.vogt@hzdr.de
PDF

Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 063503 – Published 30 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/653m-gc8d

Abstract

We investigate turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC) in a convection cell with square cross section and aspect ratio Γ=width/height=25 filled with the liquid metal alloy GaInSn at Prandtl number Pr≈0.03. A dense array of thermocouples and ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry is employed to measure the temperature distributions at the top of the convection cell and horizontal velocity profiles, respectively, in the Rayleigh number range 3.27×104≲Ra≲2.17×105. Conspicuous thermal structures manifest themselves in the two-dimensional temperature fields and closely resemble the turbulent superstructures predicted in numerical simulations. The velocity data reveal flow features that indicate the presence of “jump rope vortices” (JRV). This can be seen in characteristic oscillations that permeate the entire 3D flow structure. The measured frequencies, f0 correspond very well with the empirical scaling f0∝Ra0.419. The results thus provide experimental evidence that the jump-rope vortex, which has previously been identified as the striking dynamical feature of large-scale convection (LSC) in geometries with moderate aspect ratios (1.4≤Γ≤5), also persists as a robust, three-dimensional mode embedded within turbulent convective superstructures at very large aspect ratios.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (41)

  1. G. Zocchi, E. Moses, and A. Libchaber, Coherent structures in turbulent convection, an experimental study, Physica A 166, 387 (1990).
  2. X.-L. Qiu, S.-H. Yao, and P. Tong, Large-scale coherent rotation and oscillation in turbulent thermal convection, Phys. Rev. E 61, R6075 (2000).
  3. X.-L. Qiu and P. Tong, Onset of coherent oscillations in turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 094501 (2001).
  4. T. Hartlep, A. Tilgner, and F. H. Busse, Large scale structures in Rayleigh–Bénard convection at high Rayleigh numbers, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 064501 (2003).
  5. J. Von Hardenberg, A. Parodi, G. Passoni, A. Provenzale, and E. Spiegel, Large-scale patterns in Rayleigh–Bénard convection, Phys. Lett. A 372, 2223 (2008).
  6. R. Krishnamurti and L. N. Howard, Large-scale flow generation in turbulent convection, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78, 1981 (1981).
  7. T. Hartlep, A. Tilgner, and F. H. Busse, Transition to turbulent convection in a fluid layer heated from below at moderate aspect ratio, J. Fluid Mech. 544, 309 (2005).
  8. J. Aurnou, M. Calkins, J. Cheng, K. Julien, E. King, D. Nieves, K. M. Soderlund, and S. Stellmach, Rotating convective turbulence in Earth and planetary cores, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 246, 52 (2015).
  9. P. P. Vieweg, J. D. Scheel, and J. Schumacher, Supergranule aggregation for constant heat flux-driven turbulent convection, Phys. Rev. Res. 3, 013231 (2021).
  10. K. P. Iyer, J. D. Scheel, J. Schumacher, and K. R. Sreenivasan, Classical 1/3 scaling of convection holds up to Ra = 1015, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 117, 7594 (2020).
  11. L. Zwirner, A. Tilgner, and O. Shishkina, Elliptical instability and multiple-roll flow modes of the large-scale circulation in confined turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 054502 (2020).
  12. F. Schindler, S. Eckert, T. Zürner, J. Schumacher, and T. Vogt, Collapse of coherent large scale flow in strongly turbulent liquid metal convection, Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 164501 (2022).
  13. E. Brown and G. Ahlers, The origin of oscillations of the large-scale circulation of turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection, J. Fluid Mech. 638, 383 (2009).
  14. D. Funfschilling and G. Ahlers, Plume motion and large-scale circulation in a cylindrical Rayleigh–Bénard cell, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 194502 (2004).
  15. Q. Zhou, H.-D. Xi, S.-Q. Zhou, C. Sun, and K.-Q. Xia, Oscillations of the large-scale circulation in turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection: The sloshing mode and its relationship with the torsional mode, J. Fluid Mech. 630, 367 (2009).
  16. H.-D. Xi, S.-Q. Zhou, Q. Zhou, T.-S. Chan, and K.-Q. Xia, Origin of the temperature oscillation in turbulent thermal convection, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 044503 (2009).
  17. T. Zürner, F. Schindler, T. Vogt, S. Eckert, and J. Schumacher, Combined measurement of velocity and temperature in liquid metal convection, J. Fluid Mech. 876, 1108 (2019).
  18. X. Xu, K. M. Bajaj, and G. Ahlers, Heat transport in turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 4357 (2000).
  19. S. Horn, P. J. Schmid, and J. M. Aurnou, Unravelling the large-scale circulation modes in turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection, Europhys. Lett. 136, 14003 (2021).
  20. J. S. Cheng, I. Mohammad, B. Wang, D. F. Keogh, J. M. Forer, and D. H. Kelley, Oscillations of the large-scale circulation in experimental liquid metal convection at aspect ratios 1.4–3, J. Fluid Mech. 949, A42 (2022).
  21. O. Shishkina, Rayleigh–Bénard convection: The container shape matters, Phys. Rev. Fluids 6, 090502 (2021).
  22. R. J. Stevens, R. Hartmann, R. Verzicco, and D. Lohse, How wide must Rayleigh–Bénard cells be to prevent finite aspect ratio effects in turbulent flow? J. Fluid Mech. 1000, A58 (2024).
  23. X.-L. Qiu and P. Tong, Large-scale velocity structures in turbulent thermal convection, Phys. Rev. E 64, 036304 (2001).
  24. R. Du Puits, C. Resagk, and A. Thess, Breakdown of wind in turbulent thermal convection, Phys. Rev. E 75, 016302 (2007).
  25. J. Bailon-Cuba, M. S. Emran, and J. Schumacher, Aspect ratio dependence of heat transfer and large-scale flow in turbulent convection, J. Fluid Mech. 655, 152 (2010).
  26. E. P. van der Poel, R. J. Stevens, K. Sugiyama, and D. Lohse, Flow states in two-dimensional Rayleigh-Bénard convection as a function of aspect-ratio and Rayleigh number, Phys. Fluids 24, 085104 (2012).
  27. P. Sakievich, Y. Peet, and R. Adrian, Large-scale thermal motions of turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection in a wide aspect-ratio cylindrical domain, Int. J. Heat Fluid Flow 61, 183 (2016).
  28. Y.-Z. Li, X. Chen, A. Xu, and H.-D. Xi, Counter-flow orbiting of the vortex centre in turbulent thermal convection, J. Fluid Mech. 935, A19 (2022).
  29. T. Vogt, S. Horn, A. M. Grannan, and J. M. Aurnou, Jump rope vortex in liquid metal convection, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 115, 12674 (2018).
  30. M. Akashi, T. Yanagisawa, A. Sakuraba, F. Schindler, S. Horn, T. Vogt, and S. Eckert, Jump rope vortex flow in liquid metal Rayleigh–Bénard convection in a cuboid container of aspect ratio, J. Fluid Mech. 932, A27 (2022).
  31. A. Teimurazov, S. Singh, S. Su, S. Eckert, O. Shishkina, and T. Vogt, Oscillatory large-scale circulation in liquid-metal thermal convection and its structural unit, J. Fluid Mech. 977, A16 (2023).
  32. R. J. A. M. Stevens, A. Blass, X. Zhu, R. Verzicco, and D. Lohse, Turbulent thermal superstructures in Rayleigh–Bénard convection, Phys. Rev. Fluids 3, 041501(R) (2018).
  33. A. Pandey, J. D. Scheel, and J. Schumacher, Turbulent superstructures in Rayleigh–Bénard convection, Nat. Commun. 9, 2118 (2018).
  34. G. Green, D. G. Vlaykov, J. P. Mellado, and M. Wilczek, Resolved energy budget of superstructures in Rayleigh–Bénard convection, J. Fluid Mech. 887, A21 (2020).
  35. D. Krug, D. Lohse, and R. J. Stevens, Coherence of temperature and velocity superstructures in turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard flow, J. Fluid Mech. 887, A2 (2020).
  36. A. Pandey, D. Krasnov, K. R. Sreenivasan, and J. Schumacher, Convective mesoscale turbulence at very low Prandtl numbers, J. Fluid Mech. 948, A23 (2022).
  37. Å. Nordlund, R. F. Stein, and M. Asplund, Solar surface convection, Living Rev. Sol. Phys. 6, 1 (2009).
  38. N. Kim, F. Schindler, T. Vogt, and S. Eckert, Thermal boundary layer dynamics in low-Prandtl-number Rayleigh–Bénard convection, J. Fluid Mech. 994, A4 (2024).
  39. F. Schindler, N. Kim, T. Vogt, and S. Eckert, Impact of fluid flow on the thermal boundary layer dynamics in turbulent liquid metal Rayleigh–Bénard convection, Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 247, 127129 (2025).
  40. M. Akashi, T. Yanagisawa, Y. Tasaka, T. Vogt, Y. Murai, and S. Eckert, Transition from convection rolls to large-scale cellular structures in turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection in a liquid metal layer, Phys. Rev. Fluids 4, 033501 (2019).
  41. N. Kim, F. Schindler, S. Su, S. Eckert, and T. Vogt, Experimental evidence for jump rope vortices in turbulent convective superstructures [Data set], Rodare, 2026, http://doi.org/10.14278/rodare.4663.

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 063503– Published 30 June, 2026
  • Received 17 February 2026
  • Accepted 14 May 2026
Crossmark - Check for updates button
Creative Commons Logo

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation