Construction of circle bifurcations of a two-dimensional spatially periodic flow (Q855616)

This article addresses the bifurcation of steady-state solutions in two-dimensional, viscous, incompressible, spatially periodic flow, forced by a single Fourier mode (Kolmogorov flow). The spatial periods are \(2\pi\) and \(2\pi/\alpha\) with \(0<\alpha<1\). This flow has a simple equilibrium solution, valid for all Reynolds numbers and values of \(\alpha\). \textit{V. I. Yudovich} showed in [PMM, J. Appl. Math. Mech. 29, 527--544 (1965); translation from Prikl. Mat. Mekh. 29, 453--467 (1965; Zbl 0148.22307)] that there exists a finite number of critical values of the Reynolds number for which steady-state solutions bifurcate from the base solution. In the article under review these bifurcating solutions are constructed using spectral and asymptotic methods. It is proved that at each critical Reynolds number a parametrized family (circle) of steady-state solutions bifurcates supercritically from the base flow. Each of these bifurcating solutions corresponds to a normal direction of the underlying two-dimensional spectral space.