The subject matter of this paper is transition of the flow in a channel on a rotating system due to the effect of Coriolis force. The phenomenon is studied through flow visualization, the occurrence of transition showing up as regularly spaced rolls of longitudinal vortices. The effects of channel aspect ratio and of non-monotonic changes of channel cross-sectional area on observed transition are studied. The observations are set against a simple linear theory based on following the evolution of infinitesimally small disturbances under the influence of Coriolis force in a channel of uniform cross section. The comparison shows the scope and limitations of the linear theory. [References: 12]
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