BREAKING OF EQUATORIAL SYMMETRY IN A ROTATING SYSTEM - A SPIRALING INTERMITTENCY MECHANISM

Rotating fluid systems can display large-scale asymmetries about the e quator. A model-independent mechanism for such symmetry breaking is de scribed, via a spiralling intermittency that combines the on-off and P omeau-Manneville mechanisms. This involves a periodic orbit in an inva riant subspace becoming unstable to perturbations transverse to the su bspace; these are describable in terms of the equatorial symmetry of t he system. A scaling law is derived for the intermittency and this is tested against results from the numerical simulation of the behaviour of a rotating electrically conducting fluid. Finally we make compariso ns with recent results on intermittency and symmetry breaking.