The dynamics of stratified horizontal shear flows at low Péclet number

Abstract

Abstract We consider the dynamics of a vertically stratified, horizontally forced Kolmogorov flow. Motivated by astrophysical systems where the Prandtl number is often asymptotically small, our focus is the little-studied limit of high Reynolds number but low Péclet number (which is defined to be the product of the Reynolds number and the Prandtl number). Through a linear stability analysis, we demonstrate that the stability of two-dimensional modes to infinitesimal perturbations is independent of the stratification, whilst three-dimensional modes are always unstable in the limit of strong stratification and strong thermal diffusion. The subsequent nonlinear evolution and transition to turbulence are studied numerically using direct numerical simulations. For sufficiently large Reynolds numbers, four distinct dynamical regimes naturally emerge, depending upon the strength of the background stratification. By considering dominant balances in the governing equations, we derive scaling laws for each regime which explain the numerical data.