Distinct quasiperiodic modes with like symmetry in a rotating fluid

Abstract

We use Floquet theory, fully resolved numerical simulation, and laboratory experiment to study two quasiperiodic modes in the Couette-Taylor system which have the same symmetry but different spatial structure. Although each mode has been observed in previous experiments, their coexistence in the same region of parameter space is a new numerical prediction. Because they have the same symmetry, the modes are strongly coupled, which results in chaotic behavior.