A spectral model for two-dimensional incompressible fluid flow in a circular basin. I: Mathematical formulation (Q1368170)

A spectral numerical scheme is developed for simulations of two-dimensional incompressible fluid flow in a circular basin. The vorticity and streamfunction fields are represented by products of Jacobi polynomials and complex exponentials. It is shown that without forcing and friction the model conserves absolute enstrophy and circulation and, if the planetary vorticity is circularly symmetric, also angular momentum. The model does not conserve energy. However, the degree of conservation of energy rapidly increases with increasing resolution.