3D structure of single and multiple vortices in a flow under rotation

In this paper, we analyze the 3D structure of vortices developed in a rotating cylinder nonhomogeneously heated from below, when the rotation rate is increased. The analysis has been done by using nonlinear simulations. For a fixed Rayleigh number, the rotation rate is the bifurcation parameter. At low rotation rates, one single vortex is developed. When the rotation on the system is increased, another coexistent vortex appears at mid-levels in the cell. If the rotation is high enough, multiple-vortex structures with three or four vortices are developed at different heights. For larger rotation, complex multiple vortices appear with a chaotic behavior. A force balance analysis permits to study the role of the forces being determinant.