Turbulent spots in channel flow: An experimental study: Large-scale flow, inner structure and low-order model

We present new experimental results on the development of turbulent spots in channel flow. The internal structure of a turbulent spot is measured, with Time Resolved Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry. We report the observation of travelling-wave-like structures at the trailing edge of the turbulent spot. Special attention is paid to the large-scale flow surrounding the spot. We show that this large-scale flow is an asymmetric quadrupole centred on the spot. We measure the time evolution of the turbulent fluctuations and the mean flow distortions and compare these with the predictions of a nonlinear reduced order model predicting the main features of subcritical transition to turbulence. Graphical abstract