Classical particle mechanics on curved spaces is related to the flow of ideal fluids, by a dual interpretation of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. As in second quantization, the procedure relates the description of a system with a finite number of degrees of freedom to one with infinitely many degrees of freedom. In some two-dimensional fluid mechanics models a duality transformation between the velocity potential and the stream function can be performed relating sources and sinks in one model to vortices in the other. The particle mechanics counterpart of the dual theory is reconstructed. In the quantum theory the strength of sources and sinks, as well as vorticity are quantized; for the duality between theories to be preserved these quantization conditions must be related.
The evolution of a pair of point vortices in whole space, subject to the inviscid Euler equations for incompressible fluid flow, is solved exactly for rotationally symmetric initial conditions. This exact solution shows that the vortex strength for a pair of point vortices can either remain stable or blow up in finite time, depending on the initial data.
We extend the effective theory approach to the ideal fluid limit where the polarization of the fluid is non-zero. After describing and motivating the equations of motion, we expand them around the hydrostatic limit, obtaining the sound wave and vortex degrees of freedom. We discuss how the presence of polarization affects the stability and causality of the ideal fluid limit.
In this work, we provide two novel approaches to show that incompressible fluid flow in a finite domain contains at most a finite number vortices. We use a recently developed geometric theory of incompressible viscous flows along with an existing mathematical analysis concept to establish the finiteness. We also offer a second proof of finiteness by roping in the Kolmogorov's length scale criterion in conjunction with the notion of diametric disks.
This paper contains background information for a fluid dynamics video submitted to the Gallery of Fluid Motion to be held along with the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics.
Through the Ginzburg-Landau and the Navier-Stokes equations, we study turbulence phenomena for viscous incompressible and compressible fluids by a second order phase transition. For this model, the velocity is defined by the sum of classical and whirling components. Moreover, the laminar-turbulent transition is controlled by rotational effects of the fluid. Hence, the thermodynamic compatibility of the differential system is proved. The same model is used to understand the origins of tornadoes and their behavior and the birth of the vortices resulting from the fall of water in a vertical tube.…
The motion of noncircular two-dimensional vortices is shown to depend on a form of coupling between vortex ellipticity and the gradient of fluid density. The approach is based on the perspective that an elliptic vortex can be described as the projection of a virtual construct, a circular vortex with a symmetry axis that is tilted with respect to the direction of propagation. The resulting kinetic equation offers insights into how tilt and vortex velocity coevolve in few-body nonequilibrium settings such as vortex pair nucleation and annihilation. The model is developed and applied in associati…
We present a kinetic theory of two-dimensional decaying turbulence in the context of two-body and three-body vortex merging processes. By introducing the equations of motion for two or three vortices in the effective noise due to all the other vortices, we demonstrate analytically that a two-body mechanism becomes inefficient at low vortex density $n\ll 1$. When the more efficient three-body vortex mergings are considered {(involving vortices of different signs)}, we show that $n\sim t^{-ξ}$, with $ξ=1$. We generalize this argument to three-dimensional geostrophic turbulence, finding $ξ=5/4$, …
The methods of singular and de Rham homology and cohomology are reviewed to the extent that they are applicable to the structure and motion of vortices. In particular, they are first applied to the concept of integral invariants. After a brief review of the elements of fluid mechanics, when expressed in the language of exterior differential forms and homology theory, the basic laws of vortex theory are shown to be statements that are rooted in the homology theory of integral invariants.
We investigate the coupled dynamics of quantized vortices and normal fluid in superfluid $^4$He at finite temperatures using a numerical approach based on the vortex filament model (VFM) and lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The LBM allows us to simulate a fluid flow with only local operations, i .e., rather than solving the Navier--Stokes (NS) equations directly; a fluid flow is considered a convection of mesoscopic particles between sites on a lattice grid. Although the two-fluid nature of He II makes its flow complex, the particle-like treatment of the normal fluid in the LBM significantly re…
Herein, the Karman vortex system is considered to be a large recurrent neural network, and the computational capability is numerically evaluated by emulating nonlinear dynamical systems and the memory capacity. Therefore, the Reynolds number dependence of the Karman vortex system computational performance is revealed and the optimal computational performance is achieved near the critical Reynolds number at the onset of Karman vortex shedding, which is associated with a Hopf bifurcation. Our finding advances the understanding of the relationship between the physical properties of fluid dynamics…
Vortex stretching in a compressible fluid is considered. Two-dimensional and axisymmetric cases are considered separately. The flows associated with the vortices are perpendicular to the plane of the uniform straining flows. Externally-imposed density build-up near the axis leads to enhanced compactness of the vortices - "dressed" vortices (in analogy to "dressed" charged particles in a dielectric system). The compressible vortex flow solutions in the 2D as well as axisymmetric cases identify a length scale relevant for the compressible case which leads to the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili spectrum f…
Numerical calculations of Helium-II hydrodynamics show that a dense tangle of superfluid vortices induces in an initially stationary normal fluid a highly dissipative, complex, vortical flow pattern ("turbulence") with a -2.2 energy spectrum scaling exponent and fluctuations Reynolds number of order unity. In this normal fluid flow the effects of mutual friction excitation from the superfluid vortices and those of viscous stresses are of the same order. The results suggest that in previous experiments the dynamics of decaying, high Reynolds number, quantum turbulent flows could only weakly be …
Turbulent flows of incompressible liquid in two dimensions are comprised of dense systems of vortices. Such system of vortices can be treated as a fluid and itself could be described in terms of hydrodynamics. We develop the hydrodynamics of the vortex fluid. This hydrodynamics captures characteristics of fluid flows averaged over fast circulations in the inter-vortex space. The hydrodynamics of the vortex fluid features the anomalous stress absent in Euler's hydrodynamics. The anomalous stress yields a number of interesting effects. Some of them are: a deflection of stream lines, a correction…
Stability, bifurcation properties, and the spatiotemporal behavior of different nonlinear combination structures of spiral vortices in the counter rotating Taylor-Couette system are investigated by full numerical simulations and by coupled amplitude equation approximations. Stable cross-spiral structures with continuously varying content of left and right spiral modes are found. They provide a stability transferring connection between the initially stable, axially counter propagating wave states of pure spirals and the axially standing waves of so-called ribbons that become stable slightly fur…
Incompressible fluids on curved surfaces are considered with respect to the interplay between topology, geometry and fluid properties using a surface vorticity-stream function formulation, which is solved using parametric finite elements. Motivated by designed examples for superfluids, we consider the influence of a geometric potential on vortices for fluids with finite viscosity and show numerical examples in which a change in the geometry is used to manipulate the flow field.
A fluid dynamics video of the rotating, weakly stratified Boussinesq equations is presented that illustrates the spontaneous formation of columnar vortices in the presence of stochastic, white noise forcing.
We develop a coarse-grained description of the point-vortex model, finding that a large number of planar vortices and antivortices behave as an inviscid non-Eulerian fluid at large scales. The emergent binary vortex fluid is subject to anomalous stresses absent from Euler's equation, caused by the singular nature of quantum vortices. The binary vortex fluid is compressible, and has an asymmetric Cauchy stress tensor allowing orbital angular momentum exchange with the vorticity and vortex density. An analytic solution for vortex shear flow driven by anomalous stresses is in excellent agreement …
The Navier-Stokes-Fourier model for a 3D thermoconducting viscous fluid, where the evolution equation for the temperature T contains a term proportional to the rate of energy dissipation, is investigated analitically at the light of the rotational invariance property. Two cases are considered: the Couette flow and a flow with a radial velocity between two rotating impermeable and porous coaxial cylinders, respectively. In both cases, we show the existence of a maximum value of T, T_max, when the difference of temperature Delta T=T_2-T_1 on the surfaces of the cylinders is assigned. The role of…
In classical viscous fluids, turbulent eddies are known to be responsible for the rapid spreading of embedded particles. But in an inviscid quantum fluid where the turbulence is induced by a chaotic tangle of quantized vortices, dispersion of the particles is achieved via a non-classical mechanism, i.e., their binding to the evolving quantized vortices. However, there is limited existing knowledge on how the vortices diffuse and spread in turbulent quantum fluids. Here we report a systematic numerical study of the apparent diffusion of vortices in a random vortex tangle in superfluid helium-4 …
When a fluid system is subject to strong rotation, centrifugal fluid motion is expected, i.e., denser (lighter) fluid moves outward (inward) from (toward) the axis of rotation. Here we demonstrate, both experimentally and numerically, the existence of an unexpected outward motion of warm and lighter vortices in rotating turbulent convection. This anomalous vortex motion occurs under rapid rotations when the centrifugal buoyancy is sufficiently strong to induce a symmetry-breaking in the vorticity field, i.e., the vorticity of the cold anticyclones overrides that of the warm cyclones. We show t…
In the present paper, we study transport properties of coherent vortices. These structures are formed by tubes of fluid parcels that complete similar material rotation. Here, we demonstrate that time $t_0$ positions of such physical structures can be identified from the angular momentum along their trajectories. We identify and extract these Lagrangian vortices as material domain in which fluid elements complete similar Lagrangian angular momentum around the same axis and over the same finite time duration. The present method shows high vortices' monitoring capacity by identifying automaticall…
We point out an interesting connection between fluid dynamics and minimal surface theory: When gluing helicoids into a minimal surface, the limit positions of the helicoids correspond to a "vortex crystal", an equilibrium of point vortices in 2D fluid that move together as a rigid body. While vortex crystals have been studied for almost 150 years, the gluing construction of minimal surfaces is relatively new. As a consequence of the connection, we obtain many new minimal surfaces and some new vortex crystals by simply comparing notes.
The paper reports the recent results on application and extension of the matrix formulation of lagrangian hydrodynamic equations. The matrix approach is based on the notion of continuous deformation of infinitesimal material elements and treats the Jacobi matrix of their derivatives with respect to lagrangian variables as the fundamental quantity completely describing fluid motion. We begin with brief review of the governing matrix equation (for the detailed discussion see Yakubovich, E.I. & Zenkovich, D.A. 2001 Matrix approach to Lagrangian fluid dynamics. J. Fluid Mech. vol. 443, 167-196). T…
Monami is the synchronous waving of a submerged seagrass bed in response to unidirectional fluid flow. Here we develop a multiphase model for the dynamical instabilities and flow-driven collective motions of buoyant, deformable seagrass. We show that the impedance to flow due to the seagrass results in an unstable velocity shear layer at the canopy interface, leading to a periodic array of vortices that propagate downstream. Each passing vortex locally weakens the along-stream velocity at the canopy top, reducing the drag and allowing the deformed grass to straighten up just beneath it. This c…
The temporal evolution of the fluid circulation generated by a buoyancy force when two-dimensional (2D) arrays of 2D thermals are released into a quiescent incompressible fluid is studied through the results of numerous lattice Boltzmann simulations. It is observed that the circulation magnitude grows to a maximum value in a finite time. When both the maximum circulation and the time at which it occurs are non-dimensionalised by appropriately defined characteristic scales, it is shown that two simple Prandtl number (Pr) dependent scaling relations can be devised that fit these data very well o…
We derive a relationship for the vortex aspect ratio $α$ (vertical half-thickness over horizontal length scale) for steady and slowly evolving vortices in rotating stratified fluids, as a function of the Brunt-Vaisala frequencies within the vortex $N_c$ and in the background fluid outside the vortex $\bar{N}$, the Coriolis parameter $f$, and the Rossby number $Ro$ of the vortex: $α^2 = Ro(1+Ro) f^2/(N_c^2-\bar{N}^2)$. This relation is valid for cyclones and anticyclones in either the cyclostrophic or geostrophic regimes; it works with vortices in Boussinesq fluids or ideal gases, and the backg…
We study the generation of 2D turbulence in Faraday waves by investigating the creation of spatially periodic vortices in this system. Measurements which couple a diffusing light imaging technique and particle tracking algorithms allow the simultaneous observation of the three-dimensional fluid motion and of the temporal changes in the wave field topography. Quasi-standing waves are found to coexist with a spatially extended fluid transport. More specifically, the destruction of regular patterns of oscillons coincides with the emergence of a complex fluid motion whose statistics are similar to…
Planetary rotation organizes fluid motions into coherent, long-lived swirls, known as large-scale vortices (LSVs), which play an important role in the dynamics and long-term evolution of geophysical and astrophysical fluids. Here, using direct numerical simulations, we show that LSVs in rapidly rotating mixed convective and stably stratified fluids, which approximates the two-layer, turbulent-stratified dynamics of many geophysical and astrophysical fluids, have a generic shape and that their size can be predicted. We show that LSVs emerge in the convection zone from upscale energy transfers a…
Studying and interpreting the different flow patterns present in urban areas is becoming essential since they help develop new approaches to fight climate change through an improved understanding of the dynamics of the pollutants in urban environments. This study uses higher order dynamic mode decomposition (HODMD) to analyze a high-fidelity database of the turbulent flow in various simplified urban environments. The geometry simulated consists of two buildings separated by a certain distance. Three different cases have been studied, corresponding to the three different regimes identified in t…
Theoretical description and numerical simulation of an evaporating sessile drop are developed. We jointly take into account the hydrodynamics of an evaporating sessile drop, effects of the thermal conduction in the drop and the diffusion of vapor in air. A shape of the rotationally symmetric drop is determined within the quasistationary approximation. Nonstationary effects in the diffusion of the vapor are also taken into account. Simulation results agree well with the data of evaporation rate measurements for the toluene drop. Marangoni forces associated with the temperature dependence of the…
If a quantum fluid is driven with enough angular momentum, at equilibrium the ground state of the system is given by a lattice of quantised vortices whose density is prescribed by the quantization of circulation. We report on the first experimental study of the Feynman-Onsager relation in a non-equilibrium polariton fluid, free to expand and rotate. Upon initially imprinting a lattice of vortices in the quantum fluid, we track the vortex core positions on picosecond time scales. We observe an accelerated stretching of the lattice and an outward bending of the linear trajectories of the vortice…
Experiments in the early 1980s have shown that a compact bundle of quantum vortex rings in superfluid helium remains coherent and travels a significant distance compared to its size. This is surprising because a single vortex ring, under the effect of friction with the background of thermal excitations (the so-called normal fluid), would quickly lose energy and decay. The observation of these long-lived vortex structures has remained an unsettled question since their experimental detection. In this work, by taking into account the fully coupled dynamics of superfluid vortices and the normal fl…
Generic scaling laws, such as the Kolmogorov's 5/3-law, are milestone achievements of turbulence research in classical fluids. For quantum fluids such as atomic Bose-Einstein condensates, superfluid helium, and superfluid neutron stars, turbulence can also exist in the presence of a chaotic tangle of evolving quantized vortex lines. However, due to the lack of suitable experimental tools to directly probe the vortex-tangle motion, so far little is known about possible scaling laws that characterize the velocity correlations and trajectory statistics of the vortices in quantum-fluid turbulence …
We show that, in a two-dimensional (2d) ideal fluid (also applies to a column of quasi-2d non-neutral plasma in an axial magnetic field), large elliptical vortices in a finite disk are stable. The stability is established by comparison between energy of elliptical and symmetrical states to satisfy a sufficient condition, without dynamical eigen-analysis. Analytical small ellipticity expansion of energy and exact numerical values for finite ellipticity are both obtained. The expansion indicates stable linear l=2 diocotron modes for large vortices (or plasma columns). Numerical simulations of th…
For the model of a compressible barotropic fluid on a two dimensional rotating Riemmanian manifold we discuss a special class of smooth solutions having a form of a steady non-singular vortex moving with a bearing field. The model can be obtained from the system of primitive equations governing the motion of air over the Earth surface after averaging over the height and therefore the solution obtained can be interpreted as a tropical cyclone which is known as a long time existing stable vortex. We consider approximations of $l$- plane and $β$ - plane used in geophysics for modeling of middle s…
The idea that the knottedness (hydrodynamic Helicity) of a fluid flow is conserved has a long history in fluid mechanics. The quintessential example of a knotted flow is a knotted vortex filament, however, owing to experimental difficulties, it has not been possible until recently to directly generate knotted vortices in real fluids. Using 3D printed hydrofoils and high-speed laser scanning tomography, we generate vortex knots and links and measure their subsequent evolution. In both cases, we find that the vortices deform and stretch until a series of vortex reconnections occurs, eventually r…
A new class of exact solutions of hydrodynamic equations for an incompressible fluid (gas) at the presence of a bulk sink and uprising vertical flows of matter is considered. The acceleration of the rotation velocity of classical non-stationary vortices is conditioned by the joint action of the convective and Coriolis hydrodynamic forces (accelerations), which appear due to the converging radial flows of the matter in the region of a bulk sink. It is shown that there exist velocity profiles that nullify viscous terms in the Navier-Stokes equations and represent a vortex structure with a "rigid…
Turbulent channel flows laden with particles are investigated using direct numerical simulation with a point-force approximation for small, heavy particles with a diameter smaller than the Kolmogorov length scale of the fluid. The Stokes numbers based on the wall units considered in our study are $St^+=0.5, 5, 35$ and 125. The main purpose of this study is to examine the effect of Stokes number on turbulence modification in a channel. We found that particles with $St^+=0.5$ enhance turbulence by increasing the occurrence of quasistreamwise vortices, while larger-Stokes-number particles attenua…
This fluid dynamics video demonstrates the merger of long vortex filaments is shown experimentally. Two counter-rotating vortices are generated using in a tank with very high aspect ratio. PIV demonstrates the merger of the vortices within a single orbit.
Large-scale turbulence in fluid layers and other quasi-two-dimensional compressible systems consists of planar vortices and waves. Separately, wave turbulence usually produces a direct energy cascade, while solenoidal planar turbulence transports energy to large scales by an inverse cascade. Here, we consider turbulence at finite Mach numbers when the interaction between acoustic waves and vortices is substantial. We employ solenoidal pumping at intermediate scales and show how both direct and inverse energy cascades are formed starting from the pumping scale. We show that there is an inverse …
