A basis for flow modelling

Reduced-order models are often sought to efficiently represent key dynamical phenomena present among the broad range of temporal and spatial scales associated with unsteady and turbulent flow problems. Linear 'input–output' approaches and resolvent analyses reveal that important information about the most dangerous (most amplified) disturbances and the corresponding fluctuation response can be found with knowledge only of the base flow, or the turbulent mean field. In the work by Padovan et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 900, 2020, A14), an important advance is made with regards to flows which have a periodically time-varying base flow, for example during unsteady vortex shedding from a body. By forming a harmonic resolvent relative to this base flow, limitations associated with the traditional linear resolvent are overcome to determine efficient bases for modelling of limit cycle flows and reveal novel information about key triadic (resonant) interactions.