Bifurcations and symmetry breaking in the wake of axisymmetric bodies

We consider the generic problem of wake instabilities past fixed axisymmetric bodies, and focus on the extreme cases of a sphere and a flat disk. Numerical results reveal that the wakes of these two bodies evolve differently as the Reynolds number is increased. Especially, two new vortex shedding modes are identified behind a disk. To interpret these results, we introduce a model based on the theory of mode interactions in presence of O(2) symmetry. This model, which was initially developed for the Taylor-Couette system, allows us to explain the structural differences observed in the evolution of the two types of wakes and to accurately predict the evolution of the lift force. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.