Periodically bursting edge states in plane Poiseuille flow

Abstract: We investigate the laminar-turbulent boundary in plane Poiseuille flow by the method of edge tracking. In short and narrow computational domains we find for a wide range in Reynolds number that all states in the boundary converge to a period orbit with a period of the order of $10<sup>{3}$ time units. The attracting states in these small domains are periodically extended in the spanwise and streamwise direction, but always localized to one side of the channel in the normal direction. In short and wide domains the edge states are localized in the spanwise direction. The periodic motion found in the small domains then induces a large variety of dynamical activity. The findings are very similar to the ones in the asymptotic suction boundary layer.