Dust trapping in vortex pairs

The motion of tiny heavy particles transported in a co-rotating point vortex pair, with or without particle inertia and sedimentation, is investigated. The dynamics of non-inertial sedimenting particles is shown to be chaotic, under the combined effects of gravity and of the circular displacement of the vortices. This phenomenon is very sensitive to the particles’ inertia, if any. By using a nearly hamiltonian dynamical system theory for the particles’ motion equation written in the rotating reference frame, one can show that small inertia terms of the particles’ motion equation strongly modify the Melnikov function of the homoclinic trajectories and heteroclinic cycles of the unperturbed system, as soon as the particles’ response time is of the order of the settling time (Froude number of order unity). The critical Froude number above which chaotic motion vanishes and a regular centrifugation takes place is obtained from this Melnikov analysis and compared to numerical simulations. Particles with a finite inertia, and in the absence of gravity, are not necessarily centrifuged away from the vortex system. Indeed, these particles can have various equilibrium positions in the rotating reference frame, like the Lagrange points of celestial mechanics, according to whether their Stokes number is smaller or larger than some critical value. An analytical stability analysis reveals that two of these points are stable attracting points, so that permanent trapping can occur for inertial particles injected in an isolated co-rotating vortex pair. Particle trapping is observed to persist when viscosity, and therefore vortex coalescence, is taken into account. Numerical experiments at large but finite Reynolds number show that particles can indeed be trapped temporarily during vortex roll-up, and are eventually centrifuged away once vortex coalescence occurs.     

On the Incompressible Fluid Limit and the Vortex Motion Law of the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation

The nonlinear Schr?dinger equation (NLS) has been a fundamental model for understanding vortex motion in superfluids. The vortex motion law has been formally derived on various physical grounds and has been around for almost half a century. We study the nonlinear Schr?dinger equation in the incompressible fluid limit on a bounded domain with Dirichlet or Neumann boundary condition. The initial condition contains any finite number of degree ± 1 vortices. We prove that the NLS linear momentum weakly converges to a solution of the incompressible Euler equation away from the vortices. If the initial NLS energy is almost minimizing, we show that the vortex motion obeys the classical Kirchhoff law for fluid point vortices. Similar results hold for the entire plane and periodic cases, and a related complex Ginzburg–Landau equation. We treat as well the semi-classical (WKB) limit of NLS in the presence of vortices. In this limit, sound waves propagate through steady vortices. Received: 1 December 1997 / Accepted: 27 June 1998     

Temporal chaotic behaviour of vortex motion in a type-II superconductors with periodically-distributed pinning centres

Temporal chaotic character of vortex motion in systems where defects are arranged in periodic arrays has been investigated by computer simulation. Due to the high nonlinearity of the vortex–defect interaction, the temporal evolution of the vortex motion is chaotic with a power spectrum similar to what have been observed in the experiments. It is found that the strength of both the vortex–vortex and vortex–defect interactions have no significant effects on the chaotic motion of the vortices, however, the mismatch between these two interactions causes attractor crisis of the system. Different from them, the Lorentz force is not the origin of the attractor crisis, but it causes a divergent motion of the vortex (i.e., the flux flow).     

On changing the size of the atmosphere of a vortex pair embedded in a periodic external shear flow

The dynamics of fluid particles in the vicinity of a self-propagating vortex pair, embedded in a nonstationary shear flow, is studied. When the shear flow is steady, the vicinity of the pair, which is called as a vortex atmosphere, consists of closed stream-lines, which coincide with fluid particles? trajectories. When the shear flow is nonstationary, the trajectories? behaviour changes drastically, then chaotic advection occurs. It is shown in the Letter that the vortex pair propagation velocity varies with the parameters (amplitude, and frequency) of the nonstationary shear flow. It is demonstrated, that changing of the mean velocity leads to changing of the size of the atmosphere.     

Irregular mixing due to a vortex pair interacting with a fixed vortex

The paper examines scalar advection caused by a point–vortex pair encountering a fixed point vortex in a uniform flow. The interaction produces two types of vortex motion. First is unbounded as the pair moves unrestrictedly after encountering the fixed vortex. The scalar exchanging between the pair's bubble and fixed vortex's neighbourhood is numerically estimated. Second is bounded as the pair's vortices periodically oscillate about the fixed vortex. The pair's periodic motion perturbs scalar motion causing a portion of scalar trajectories to manifest chaotic behaviour. We analyse scalar transport using Poincaré sections, which reveal regular and chaotic transport regions.     

Coupling between temporal and spatial chaos of vortex state in superconductors with periodical pinning arrays

Vortex motion in the background of many vortices is investigated by a mean field approach. Effects of the vortex–vortex coupling, the driving frequency, and the vortex viscosity on the vortex motion have been studied to reveal the interaction between the spatial and temporal chaos. It is found that the mean-field approach is a good approximation to describe the vortex motion in one dimensional vortex system. The vortex motion under the damping mode is a kind of self-organized motion. The spatial chaos can dominate the chaotic behavior of the system.     

On the vortex formation at the moving front of lightweight granular particles

The formation of vortices at a moving front of lightweight granular particles is investigated experimentally. The particles used in this study are made of polystyrene foam with three different diameters of nearly uniform size. Pairs of vortices are found to emerge at the moving front at regular intervals, thereby forming a wavy pattern. Once the vortices are produced, the flow velocity tends to increase. A simple analysis suggests the existence of a velocity boundary layer at the moving front, whose thickness increases with increasing particle diameter. The frontal radius of each vortex pair is about the size of this boundary layer; when the radius exceeds this size, the front tends to bifurcate into a train of vortices with the size of the boundary layer. The formation of twin vortices leads to a reduction in the air drag force exerted on the system, and thereby the system attains a higher flow velocity, i.e., a higher conversion rate of gravitational potential energy to the kinetic energy of the particle motion. The higher conversion rate of potential energy thus feeds back to the development of the vortex motion, resulting in the twin vortex formation.     

Self-assembly and vortices formed by microparticles in weak electrolytes

We carried out experimental studies of the self-assembly of metallic micron-size particles in poorly conducting liquid subject to a constant electric field. Depending on the experimental conditions, the particles self-assemble into long chains directed along the electric field lines and form vortices and other structures. The vortices perform Brownian-type random motion due to self-induced chaotic hydrodynamic flows. We measured the diffusivity constant of the vortices and the conductivity and mechanical stiffness of the chains.     

Hopf Bifurcations,Drops in the Lid-Driven Square Cavity Flow

The lid-driven square cavity flow is investigated by numerical experiments. It is found that from $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$ $5,000 $ to $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$$ 7,307.75 $ the solution is stationary, but at $ \mathrm{Re}$$=$$7,308 $ the solution is time periodic. So the critical Reynolds number for the first Hopf bifurcation localizes between $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$$ 7,307.75 $ and $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$$ 7,308 $. Time periodical behavior begins smoothly, imperceptibly at the bottom left corner at a tiny tertiary vortex; all other vortices stay still, and then it spreads to the three relevant corners of the square cavity so that all small vortices at all levels move periodically. The primary vortex stays still. At $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$$ 13,393.5 $ the solution is time periodic; the long-term integration carried out past $ t_{\infty} $$=$$ 126,562.5 $ and the fluctuations of the kinetic energy look periodic except slight defects. However, at $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$$ 13,393.75 $ the solution is not time periodic anymore: losing unambiguously, abruptly time periodicity, it becomes chaotic. So the critical Reynolds number for the second Hopf bifurcation localizes between $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$$ 13,393.5 $ and $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$$ 13,393.75 $. At high Reynolds numbers $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$$ 20,000 $ until $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$$ 30,000 $ the solution becomes chaotic. The long-term integration is carried out past the long time $ t_{\infty} $$=$$ 150,000 $, expecting the time asymptotic regime of the flow has been reached. The distinctive feature of the flow is then the appearance of drops: tiny portions of fluid produced by splitting of a secondary vortex, becoming loose and then fading away or being absorbed by another secondary vortex promptly. At $ \mathrm{Re} $$=$$ 30,000 $ another phenomenon arises—the abrupt appearance at the bottom left corner of a tiny secondary vortex, not produced by splitting of a secondary vortex.     

Vortex stretching and reconnection in a compressible fluid

Vortex stretching in a compressible fluid is considered. Two-dimensional (2D) 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 for compressible turbulence. Vortex reconnection process in a compressible fluid is shown to be possible even in the inviscid case — compressibility leads to defreezing of vortex lines in the fluid.     

On Vortex Dynamics in the Self-Dual Chern–Simons–Higgs System

The dynamics of n vortices in the self-dual Chern–Simons–Higgs system defined on the infinite plane is investigated. In adiabatic approximation, the vortex dynamics is determined by considering a rigid motion of a vortex configuration and a motion around a fixed center of mass. A motion of two vortices is studied in detail.     

Spectral flow and vortex dynamics in a temperature gradient

In the mixed state of superconductors the spectral flow of fermion zero modes in the vortex core couples the motion of vortices to that of the normal fluid. This gives rise to a heat current perpendicular to the direction of vortex motion and therefore to longitudinal thermomagnetic effects like the thermopower and the Peltier effect. Analysis of vortex motion in a temperature gradient on this basis yields excellent agreement with experimental results.     

Passive tracer dynamics in 4 point-vortex flow

The advection of passive tracers in a system of 4 identical point vortices is studied when the motion of the vortices is chaotic. The phenomenon of vortex-pairing has been observed and statistics of the pairing time is computed. The distribution exhibits a power-law tail with exponent ∼ 3.6 implying finite average pairing time. This exponents is in agreement with its computed analytical estimate of 3.5. Tracer motion is studied for a chosen initial condition of the vortex system. Accessible phase space is investigated. The size of the cores around the vortices is well approximated by the minimum inter-vortex distance and stickiness to these cores is observed. We investigate the origin of stickiness which we link to the phenomenon of vortex pairing and jumps of tracers between cores. Motion within the core is considered and fluctuations are shown to scale with tracer-vortex distance r as r ⁶. No outward or inward diffusion of tracers are observed. This investigation allows the separation of the accessible phase space in four distinct regions, each with its own specific properties: the region within the cores, the reunion of the periphery of all cores, the region where vortex motion is restricted and finally the far-field region. We speculate that the stickiness to the cores induced by vortex-pairings influences the long-time behavior of tracers and their anomalous diffusion. Received 28 September 2000 and Received in final form 9 February 2001     

A computational and experimental study of resonators in three dimensions

In a previous work by the present authors, a computational and experimental investigation of the acoustic properties of two-dimensional slit resonators was carried out. The present paper reports the results of a study extending the previous work to three dimensions. This investigation has two basic objectives. The first is to validate the computed results from direct numerical simulations of the flow and acoustic fields of slit resonators in three dimensions by comparing with experimental measurements in a normal incidence impedance tube. The second objective is to study the flow physics of resonant liners responsible for sound wave dissipation. Extensive comparisons are provided between computed and measured acoustic liner properties with both discrete frequency and broadband sound sources. Good agreements are found over a wide range of frequencies and sound pressure levels. Direct numerical simulation confirms the previous finding in two dimensions that vortex shedding is the dominant dissipation mechanism at high sound pressure intensity. However, it is observed that the behavior of the shed vortices in three dimensions is quite different from those of two dimensions. In three dimensions, the shed vortices tend to evolve into ring (circular in plan form) vortices, even though the slit resonator opening from which the vortices are shed has an aspect ratio of 2.5. Under the excitation of discrete frequency sound, the shed vortices align themselves into two regularly spaced vortex trains moving away from the resonator opening in opposite directions. This is different from the chaotic shedding of vortices found in two-dimensional simulations. The effect of slit aspect ratio at a fixed porosity is briefly studied. For the range of liners considered in this investigation, it is found that the absorption coefficient of a liner increases when the open area of the single slit is subdivided into multiple, smaller slits.     

Sound generated by a vortex convected past an elastic sheet

We study the motion and sound generated when a line vortex is convected in a uniform low-Mach flow parallel to a thin elastic sheet. The linearized sheet motion is analyzed under conditions where the unforced sheet (in the absence of the line vortex) is stationary. The vortex passage above the sheet excites a resonance mode of motion, where the sheet oscillates at its least stable eigenmode. The sources of sound in the acoustic problem include the sheet velocity and fluid vorticity. It is shown that the release of trailing-edge vortices, resulting from the satisfaction of the Kutta condition, has two opposite effects on sound radiation: while trailing-edge vortices act to reduce the pressure fluctuations occurring owing to the direct interaction of the line vortex with the unperturbed sheet, they extend and amplify the acoustic signal produced by the motion of the sheet. The sheet motion radiates higher sound levels as the system approaches its critical conditions for instability, where the effect of resonance becomes more pronounced. It is argued that the present theory describes the essential mechanism by which sound is generated as a turbulent eddy is convected in a mean flow past a thin elastic airfoil.     

Motion of vortices outside a cylinder

The problem of motion of the vortices around an oscillating cylinder in the presence of a uniform flow is considered. The Hamiltonian for vortex motion for the case with no uniform flow and stationary cylinder is constructed, reduced, and constant Hamiltonian (energy) curves are plotted when the system is shown to be integrable according to Liouville. By adding uniform flow to the system and by allowing the cylinder to vibrate, we model the natural vibration of the cylinder in the flow field, which has applications in ocean engineering involving tethers or pipelines in a flow field. We conclude that in the chaotic case forces on the cylinder may be considerably larger than those on the integrable case depending on the initial positions of vortices and that complex phenomena such as chaotic capture and escape occur when the initial positions lie in a certain region.     

Crystallized vortex crystals

Numerical simulations of the equations of motion of 300 charged particles confined to a plane with an additional magnetic field orthogonal to the plane reproduce recently observed self-organization of non-neutral plasmas into a small number of interacting vortices. In the presence of damping we observe crystallized vortices, i.e. vortices with regular internal structure. We also observe crystallized vortex crystals, i.e. geometric patterns of crystallized vortices. Fractal vortex arrangements are investigated and found to be stable. Our results are relevant for quantum dots and artificial atoms. Received: 24 February 1998 / Revised: 4 March 1998 / Accepted: 4 May 1998     

Anisotropic geophysical vortices

A survey is made of many types of coherent vortices in the Earth's ocean and atmosphere. These vortices often occur with strong, environmentally induced anisotropy in their velocity and vorticity fields. We propose a definition of the essential characteristics of coherent vortices and formulate hypotheses concerning their dynamical role in complex, anisotropic fluid motions. Finally, we analyze numerical solutions both for uniformly rotating, stably stratified three-dimensional flow and for two-dimensional flow for the phenomena of enstrophy cascade and dissipation, intermittency, isotropy in the appropriate coordinate frame, coherent vortex emergence, vortex population dynamics, and approach to a nonturbulent end state.