An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A → dimensionless number indicating the relative importance of the → centrifugal and → viscous forces in the → Taylor-Couette flow. It is also called rotational Reynolds number. Its value depends on the length scale of the convective system, the rotation rate, and → kinematic viscosity. The Taylor number Ta is expressed by

Ω²Rd³/ν²

where Ω is the → angular velocity of the inner cylinder, R = (R₁ + R₂)/2 is the mean radius of the two cylinders, d = R₂ - R₁ is the distance between the cylinders, and ν is → kinematic viscosity. If Ta is equal or greater than one, the rotational effects are significant.

See also: Named after Geoffrey Ingram Taylor (1886-1975), a British physicist, mathematician, and expert on fluid dynamics and wave theory; → number.