Multistability in rotating spherical shell convection.

The multiplicity of stable convection patterns in a rotating spherical fluid shell heated from the inner boundary and driven by a central gravity field is presented. These solution branches that arise as rotating waves (RWs) are traced for varying Rayleigh number while their symmetry, stability, and bifurcations are studied. At increased Rayleigh numbers all the RWs undergo transitions to modulated rotating waves (MRWs) which are classified by their spatiotemporal symmetry. The generation of a third frequency for some of the MRWs is accompanied by a further loss of symmetry. Eventually a variety of MRWs, three-frequency solutions, and chaotic saddles and attractors control the dynamics for higher Rayleigh numbers.