Lipps, F. B., 1966: Momentum transfer across an asymmetric jet. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 23 (2), 213-222.
Abstract: The northward momentum transfer across an asymmetric jet in a three-dimensional
atmosphere is examined by means of an initial-value problem. The flow is
contained between two latitude circles in the horizontal and between the
ground and the tropopause in the vertical. The motion is governed by the
potential voricity equation. The initial horizontal flow consists of a disturbance
superimposed upon a slightly asymmetric west-east zonal current. The initial
momentum transfer vanishes identically.
A solution is obtained for the tendency of the momentum transfer. It is
found that the small asymmetry in the zonal current is responsible for the
strong northward momentum transport in the region of the strongest zonal
flow. The variation of the momentum transfer both in the horizontal and
in the vertical agrees satisfactorily with the observed transfer. It is
found that an initial maximum meridional velocity of 10 m sec-1 is required in order that after one day the predicted transfer becomes
equal to the observed transfer at 200 mb and 30N.
The transfer of energy between the zonal flow and the disturbance is discussed.
The transformation from perturbation kinetic energy to basic-flow kinetic
energy has a small positive value and the transformation from basic-flow
potential energy to perturbation potential energy has a larger positive
value. The disturbance will increase its energy by about 10 per cent after
one day.