An experimental study of oblique transition in plane Poiseuille flow

Interactions of oblique waves have recently been investigated theoretically and numerically and found to give rise to rapid transition in flows subcritical to linear wave disturbances. The transition scenario consists of the formation and transient growth of streamwise streaks of high and low velocity and later a rapid growth of high-frequency disturbances leading to breakdown. The present study is the first extensive experimental investigation of oblique transition. The experiments were carried out in a plane Poiseuille flow air channel in which the oblique waves were generated, one at each wall, by vibrating ribbons and the development of the flow was mapped with hot-wire anemometry. The experiments consist both of low- and high-amplitude wave disturbances; in both cases streaky structures are created. For the low-amplitude case these structures decay, whereas for the high amplitude the flow goes towards breakdown. This study has confirmed and extended previous theoretical and numerical results showing that oblique transition may be an important transition scenario.