Transport in 3D volume-preserving flows

Summary The idea of surfaces of locally minimal flux is introduced as a key concept for understanding transport in steady three-dimensional, volume-preserving flows. Particular attention is paid to the role of the skeleton formed by the equilibrium points, selected hyperbolic periodic orbits and cantori and connecting orbits, to which many surfaces of locally minimal flux can be attached. Applications are given to spheromaks (spherical vortices) and eccentric Taylor-Couette Flow.