  We investigate the instabilities, bifurcations and transition in the wake
behind a 45-degree inclined 6:1 prolate spheroid, through a series of direct
numerical simulations (DNS) over a wide range of Reynolds numbers (Re) from 10
to 3000. We provide a detailed picture of how the originally symmetric and
steady laminar wake at low Re gradually looses its symmetry and turns unsteady
as Re is gradually increased. Several fascinating flow features have first been
revealed and subsequently analysed, e.g. an asymmetric time-averaged flow
field, a surprisingly strong side force etc. As the wake partially becomes
turbulent, we investigate a dominating coherent wake structure, namely a
helical vortex tube, inside of which a helical symmetry alteration scenario was
recovered in the intermediate wake, together with self-similarity in the far
wake.
