On cell formation in vortex streets

Abstract
A simple, phenomenological model is proposed for the formation of spanwise cells behind slender bodies of revolution in crosswise, uniform or non-uniform oncoming flow. The model yields estimates for the position of the cells, their frequencies, their amplitudes of oscillation along the span, and the local shedding angle. The qualitative features of the solutions of this theory agree well with experiments. A quantitative comparison with experiments for a slender cone is presented.