Instability and equilibration of centrifugally stable stratified Taylor-Couette flow

The flow between two concentric cylinders, V(r), is studied analytically an d computationally for a fluid with stable axial density stratification. A s ufficient condition for linear, inviscid instability is d(V/r)(2)/dr < 0 (i .e., all anticyclonically sheared flows) rather than the Rayleigh condition for centrifugal instability, d(Vr)(2)/dr < 0. This implies a far wider ran ge of instability than previously identified. The instability persists with finite viscosity and nonlinearity, leading to chaos and fully developed tu rbulence through a sequence of bifurcations. Laboratory tests are feasible and desirable.