Abstract: | The manifestations of the cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry on the stability of rotating shear flows are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The stability of certain classes of shear flows, namely, rotating tangential discontinuities and flows with a constant shear, is analyzed. The dependence of the disturbance growth rate on the sign and absolute value of the shear is determined. The three-dimensional disturbances leading to longitudinal flow modulations are shown to be most dangerous. The results of the observations of the cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry effect in the laboratory conditions are presented. |