The dynamics of a rotating cubic cavity flow under libration

In this study, we numerically explore the flow dynamics of a fluid inside a cube which is rotating at a large rate which is subject to modulation. For small modulation amplitudes the flow is synchronous, dominated by inertial wave beams and intrinsic eigenmodes of the cube, and preserves all symmetries of the configuration. Larger modulation amplitudes generate time-dependent boundary layers which penetrate into the interior of the cube. In this regime the flow is susceptible to instabilities that tend to trigger symmetry breaking or period doubling bifurcations.