THE VORTEX BLOB METHOD AS A SECOND-GRADE NON-NEWTONIAN FLUID

We show that a certain class of vortex blob approximations for ideal hydrodynamics in two dimensions can be rigorously understood as solutions to the equations of second-grade non-Newtonian fluids with zero viscosity and initial data in the space of Radon measures M (R ²). The solutions of this regularized PDE, also known as the isotropic Lagrangian averaged Euler or Euler-α equations, are geodesics on the volume preserving diffeomorphism group with respect to a new weak right invariant metric. We prove global existence of unique weak solutions (geodesics) for initial vorticity in M (R ²) such as point-vortex data, and show that the associated coadjoint orbit is preserved by the flow. Moreover, solutions of this particular vortex blob method converge to solutions of the Euler equations with bounded initial vorticity, provided that the initial data is approximated weakly in measure, and the total variation of the approximation also converges. In particular, this includes grid-based approximation schemes as are common in practical vortex computations.     

On the continuation principles for the Euler equations and the quasi-geostrophic equation

We obtain new continuation principle of the local classical solutions of the 3D Euler equations, where the regularity condition of the direction field of the vorticiy and the integrability condition of the magnitude of the vorticity are incorporated simultaneously. The regularity of the vorticity direction field is most appropriately measured by the Triebel-Lizorkin type of norm. Similar result is also obtained for the inviscid 2D quasi-geostrophic equation.     

Global well-posedness of the velocity–vorticity-Voigt model of the 3D Navier–Stokes equations

The velocity–vorticity formulation of the 3D Navier–Stokes equations was recently found to give excellent numerical results for flows with strong rotation. In this work, we propose a new regularization of the 3D Navier–Stokes equations, which we call the 3D velocity–vorticity-Voigt (VVV) model, with a Voigt regularization term added to momentum equation in velocity–vorticity form, but with no regularizing term in the vorticity equation. We prove global well-posedness and regularity of this model under periodic boundary conditions. We prove convergence of the model's velocity and vorticity to their counterparts in the 3D Navier–Stokes equations as the Voigt modeling parameter tends to zero. We prove that the curl of the model's velocity converges to the model vorticity (which is solved for directly), as the Voigt modeling parameter tends to zero. Finally, we provide a criterion for finite-time blow-up of the 3D Navier–Stokes equations based on this inviscid regularization.     

A probabilistic interpretation and stochastic particle approximations of the 3-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations

We develop a probabilistic interpretation of local mild solutions of the three dimensional Navier-Stokes equation in the L^p spaces, when the initial vorticity field is integrable. This is done by associating a generalized nonlinear diffusion of the McKean-Vlasov type with the solution of the corresponding vortex equation. We then construct trajectorial (chaotic) stochastic particle approximations of this nonlinear process. These results provide the first complete proof of convergence of a stochastic vortex method for the Navier-Stokes equation in three dimensions, and rectify the algorithm conjectured by Esposito and Pulvirenti in 1989. Our techniques rely on a fine regularity study of the vortex equation in the supercritical L^p spaces, and on an extension of the classic McKean-Vlasov model, which incorporates the derivative of the stochastic flow of the nonlinear process to explain the vortex stretching phenomenon proper to dimension three. Supported by Fondecyt Project 1040689 and Nucleus Millennium Information and Randomness ICM P01-005.     

Asymptotic stability of Oseen vortices for a density-dependent incompressible viscous fluid

In the analysis of the long-time behavior of two-dimensional incompressible viscous fluids, Oseen vortices play a major role as attractors of any homogeneous solution with integrable initial vorticity [T. Gallay, C.E. Wayne, Global stability of vortex solutions of the two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equation, Commun. Math. Phys. 255 (1) (2005) 97–129]. As a first step in the study of the density-dependent case, the present paper establishes the asymptotic stability of Oseen vortices for slightly inhomogeneous fluids with respect to localized perturbations.     

Existence and continuous dependence of large solutions for the magnetohydrodynamic equations

Global solutions of the nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations with general large initial data are investigated. First the existence and uniqueness of global solutions are established with large initial data in H ¹. It is shown that neither shock waves nor vacuum and concentration are developed in a finite time, although there is a complex interaction between the hydrodynamic and magnetodynamic effects. Then the continuous dependence of solutions upon the initial data is proved. The equivalence between the well-posedness problems of the system in Euler and Lagrangian coordinates is also showed.     

On strong convergence to 3D steady vortex sheets

In this paper, we first establish a strong convergence criterion of approximate solutions for the 3D steady incompressible Euler equations. For axisymmetric flows, under the assumption that the vorticity is of one sign and uniformly bounded in L¹ space, we obtain a sufficient and necessary condition for the strong convergence in of approximate solutions. Furthermore, for one-sign and L¹-bounded vorticity, it is shown that if a sequence of approximate solutions concentrates at an isolated point in (r,z)-plane, then the concentration point can appear neither in the region near the axis (including the symmetry axis itself) nor in the region far away from the axis. Finally, we present an example of approximates solutions which converge strongly in by using Hill's spherical vortex.     

The formation of trapped surfaces in spherically-symmetric Einstein–Euler spacetimes with bounded variation

We study the evolution of a self-gravitating compressible fluid in spherical symmetry and we prove the existence of weak solutions with bounded variation for the Einstein–Euler equations of general relativity. We formulate the initial value problem in Eddington–Finkelstein coordinates and prescribe spherically symmetric data on a characteristic initial hypersurface. We introduce here a broad class of initial data which contain no trapped surfaces, and we then prove that their Cauchy development contains trapped surfaces. We therefore establish the formation of trapped surfaces in weak solutions to the Einstein equations. This result generalizes a theorem by Christodoulou for regular vacuum spacetimes (but without symmetry restriction). Our method of proof relies on a generalization of the “random choice” method for nonlinear hyperbolic systems and on a detailed analysis of the nonlinear coupling between the Einstein equations and the relativistic Euler equations in spherical symmetry.     

On the classical solutions of two dimensional inviscid rotating shallow water system

We prove global existence and asymptotic behavior of classical solutions for two dimensional inviscid rotating shallow water system with small initial data subject to the zero relative vorticity condition. One of the key steps is a reformulation of the problem into a symmetric quasilinear Klein-Gordon system with quadratic nonlinearity, for which the global existence of classical solutions is then proved with combination of the vector field approach and the normal form method. We also probe the case of general initial data and reveal a lower bound for the lifespan that is almost inversely proportional to the size of the initial relative vorticity.     

Slip at the surface of a sphere translating perpendicular to a plane wall in micropolar fluid

The Stokes axisymmetrical flow caused by a sphere translating in a micropolar fluid perpendicular to a plane wall at an arbitrary position from the wall is presented using a combined analytical-numerical method. A linear slip, Basset type, boundary condition on the surface of the sphere has been used. To solve the Stokes equations for the fluid velocity field and the microrotation vector, a general solution is constructed from fundamental solutions in both cylindrical, and spherical coordinate systems. Boundary conditions are satisfied first at the plane wall by the Fourier transforms and then on the sphere surface by the collocation method. The drag acting on the sphere is evaluated with good convergence. Numerical results for the hydrodynamic drag force and wall effect with respect to the micropolarity, slip parameters and the separation distance parameter between the sphere and the wall are presented both in tabular and graphical forms. Comparisons are made between the classical fluid and micropolar fluid.      

Systems of partial differential equations of mixed hyperbolic-parabolic type

We prove the global existence and uniqueness of solutions of certain mixed hyperbolic-parabolic systems of partial differential equations in one space dimension with initial data that is assumed to be pointwise bounded with possibly large oscillation and with small total energy. The systems we consider are general enough to include the Navier-Stokes equations of compressible flow, the equations of compressible MHD, models of chemical combustion, and others. In particular, the application of our results to the MHD system gives an existence result which is new.     

Unsteady flow of a Maxwell fluid with fractional derivatives in a circular cylinder moving with a nonlinear velocity

Abstract

In this paper we determine the velocity field and the shear stress corresponding to the unsteady flow of a Maxwell fluid with fractional derivatives driven by an infinite circular cylinder that slides along its axes with a velocity At^a. The general solutions, obtained by means of integral transforms, satisfy all imposed initial and boundary conditions. They can be easily particularized to give the similar solutions for ordinary Maxwell and Newtonian fluids. Finally, the influence of the parameters α and β on the fluid motion as well as a comparison between models is underlined by graphical illustrations.     

Unique solvability of equations of motion for ferrofluids

We study the differential system governing the flow of an incompressible ferrofluid under the action of a magnetic field. The system is a combination of the Navier-Stokes equations, the angular momentum equation, the magnetization equation and the magnetostatic equations. No regularizing term is added to the magnetization equation. We prove the local-in-time existence of the unique strong solution to the system posed in a bounded domain of R³ and equipped with initial and boundary conditions.     

Uniqueness of transonic shock solutions in a duct for steady potential flow

We study the uniqueness of solutions with a transonic shock in a duct in a class of transonic shock solutions, which are not necessarily small perturbations of the background solution, for steady potential flow. We prove that, for given uniform supersonic upstream flow in a straight duct, there exists a unique uniform pressure at the exit of the duct such that a transonic shock solution exists in the duct, which is unique modulo translation. For any other given uniform pressure at the exit, there exists no transonic shock solution in the duct. This is equivalent to establishing a uniqueness theorem for a free boundary problem of a partial differential equation of second order in a bounded or unbounded duct. The proof is based on the maximum/comparison principle and a judicious choice of special transonic shock solutions as a comparison solution.     

Distributed control for a class of non-Newtonian fluids

We consider control problems with a general cost functional where the state equations are the stationary, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with shear-dependent viscosity. The equations are quasi-linear. The control function is given as the inhomogeneity of the momentum equation. In this paper, we study a general class of viscosity functions which correspond to shear-thinning or shear-thickening behavior. The basic results concerning existence, uniqueness, boundedness, and regularity of the solutions of the state equations are reviewed. The main topic of the paper is the proof of Gâteaux differentiability, which extends known results. It is shown that the derivative is the unique solution to a linearized equation. Moreover, necessary first-order optimality conditions are stated, and the existence of a solution of a class of control problems is shown.     

Uniqueness and decay estimates for a class of parabolic partial differential equations with hysteresis and convection

We deal in detail with the question of existence, uniqueness and asymptotic behaviour of solutions to a parabolic equation with hysteresis and convection. This equation is part of a model system which describes the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of a conducting fluid between two ferromagnetic plates. The result of this paper complements the content of a previous paper of the first author, where existence of the solution has been proved under fairly general assumptions on the hysteresis operator and the uniqueness was only obtained for a restricted class of hysteresis operators.     

Remarks on the derivation of the hydrostatic Euler equations

The motion of an inviscid incompressible fluid between two horizontal plates is studied in the limit when the plates are infinitesimally close. The convergence of the solutions of the Euler equations to those of their formal ‘hydrostatic’ limit can be established in the case when the initial velocity field satisfies a local Rayleigh conditions. This result, originally obtained by Grenier through weighted energy estimates based on Arnold's stability analysis of the Euler equations, is proven here by a more straightforward method even closer to Arnold's method.     

Generalized Contour Dynamics: A Review

Contour dynamics is a computational technique to solve for the motion of vortices in incompressible inviscid flow. It is a Lagrangian technique in which the motion of contours is followed, and the velocity field moving the contours can be computed as integrals along the contours. Its best-known examples are in two dimensions, for which the vorticity between contours is taken to be constant and the vortices are vortex patches, and in axisymmetric flow for which the vorticity varies linearly with distance from the axis of symmetry. This review discusses generalizations that incorporate additional physics, in particular, buoyancy effects and magnetic fields, that take specific forms inside the vortices and preserve the contour dynamics structure. The extra physics can lead to time-dependent vortex sheets on the boundaries, whose evolution must be computed as part of the problem. The non-Boussinesq case, in which density differences can be important, leads to a coupled system for the evolution of both mean interfacial velocity and vortex sheet strength. Helical geometry is also discussed, in which two quantities are materially conserved and whose evolution governs the flow.     

Regularity criteria for the 3D generalized MHD equations in terms of vorticity

We prove regularity criteria for the 3D generalized MHD equations. These criteria impose assumptions on the vorticity only. In addition, we also prove a result of global existence for smooth solution under some special conditions.