Reflectional symmetry breaking of the separated flow over 3D bluff bodies

The first experimental observation of a permanent reflectional symmetry breaking (RSB) is reported for a laminar three-dimensional wake. Based on flow visualizations, a first bifurcation from the trivial steady symmetric state to a steady RSB state is characterized at Re = 340. The RSB state becomes unsteady after a second bifurcation at Re = 410. It is found that this RSB regime is persistent at large Reynolds numbers and responsible for a bi-stable turbulent wake.