An advanced experimental investigation of quasi-two-dimensional shear flow

Abstract
Forced shear flows in a thin layer of an incompressible viscous fluid are studied experimentally. Streak photographs are used to obtain the stream function of vortical flow patterns arising after the primary shear flow loses stability. Various flow characteristics are determined and results are compared to the stability theory of quasi-two-dimensional flows. The applicability of the quasi-two-dimensional approximation is directly verified and the possibility of reconstruction of the driving force from the secondary flow pattern is demonstrated.