Elastically modulated wavy vortex flow.

• Elastic instabilities of low-molecular-weight polymers are studied in Taylor-Couette. • An elastically modified wavy vortex flow state is reported for the first time. • This state is characterised by oscillations of both inflow and outflow boundaries. • The amplitude of these oscillations increases at higher fluid elasticities. • This may contribute to the emergence of Rotating Standing Waves. We investigate the transition pathway of low elasticity fluids (E l = 0.003 − 0.008) in a Taylor-Couette configuration using low-molecular-weight polyacrylamide (PAAM) and visualisation experiments in the Reynolds range from 0 to 300. We report here for the first time an elastically modified wavy vortex flow state with altered spectral and structural characteristics, that precedes the onset of the traditional (inelastic) Newtonian wavy instability. This new wavy regime is characterised by oscillations of both the inflow and outflow boundaries, associated with a weakening of the outflow regions due to low hoop stresses. The modification of the boundaries persists at higher Reynolds numbers, where the spectral characteristics are unaltered compared to the inelastic, Newtonian case. In addition, a hysteretic behaviour is observed for increasing elasticity, as instabilities are shifted towards lower critical Reynolds numbers, confirming the importance of even vanishing elasticity on the stability of Taylor-Couette flows. At higher fluid elasticity (E l = 0.06), the amplitude of inflows/outflows oscillations increases, and momentum is transferred axially between adjacent vortices, which may contribute to the emergence of Rotating Standing Waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]