Experimental study on wave breaking and mixing properties in the periphery of an intense vortex

We experimentally investigate the effects of the breaking of inertia-gravity waves on the dynamics and transport properties of a vortex in a rotating stratified fluid. A tall cyclonic vortex with vertical vorticity axes, and Gaussian velocity profile is perturbed by planar waves, emitted by a horizontally oscillating cylinder. We show that the trapping and breaking of the waves inside the vortex lead to a deposit of negative momentum in the periphery of the vortex. Periodic waves destabilize the streamlines and chaotically mix the outer part of the vortex while the core remains coherent. In case waves are trapped, and break, mushroom-like structures form that may transport fluid in the radial direction. The two different mixing processes are discussed. Further, we consider the effects of vortex strength and wave-energy on the mixing.