Axisymmetric inertial modes in a spherical shell at low Ekman numbers

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the asymptotic behavior of axisymmetric inertial modes in a spherical shell at very low viscosity, revealing different eigenmode types and their scaling laws as the Ekman number approaches zero.

Contribution

It identifies three distinct eigenmode families and derives asymptotic laws and length scales governing shear layer shapes in low-viscosity inertial modes.

Findings

Eigenvalues follow different laws for three mode types

Shear layer shapes are controlled by three specific length scales

A simplified model reproduces shear layer velocity fields

Abstract

We investigate the asymptotic properties of axisymmetric inertial modes propagating in a spherical shell when viscosity tends to zero. We identify three kinds of eigenmodes whose eigenvalues follow very different laws as the Ekman number $E$ becomes very small. First are modes associated with attractors of characteristics that are made of thin shear layers closely following the periodic orbit traced by the characteristic attractor. Second are modes made of shear layers that connect the critical latitude singularities of the two hemispheres of the inner boundary of the spherical shell. Third are quasi-regular modes associated with the frequency of neutral periodic orbits of characteristics. We thoroughly analyse a subset of attractor modes for which numerical solutions point to an asymptotic law governing the eigenvalues. We show that three length scales proportional to $E^{1/6}$, $E^{1/4}$ and $E^{1/3}$ control the shape of the shear layers that are associated with these modes. These scales point out the key role of the small parameter $E^{1/12}$ in these oscillatory flows. With a simplified model of the viscous Poincar\'e equation, we can give an approximate analytical formula that reproduces the velocity field in such shear layers. Finally, we also present an analysis of the quasi-regular modes whose frequencies are close to $\sin(\pi/4)$ and explain why a fluid inside a spherical shell cannot respond to any periodic forcing at this frequency when viscosity vanishes.