Vortex Interactions Subjected to Deformation Flows: A Review

Mathematical Modeling of Vortex Interaction Using a Three-Layer Quasigeostrophic Model. Part 1: Point-Vortex Approach

The theory of point vortices is used to explain the interaction of a surface vortex with subsurface vortices in the framework of a three-layer quasigeostrophic model. Theory and numerical experiments are used to calculate the interaction between one surface and one subsurface vortex. Then, the configuration with one surface vortex and two subsurface vortices of equal and opposite vorticities (a subsurface vortex dipole) is considered. Numerical experiments show that the self-propelling dipole can either be captured by the surface vortex, move in its vicinity, or finally be completely ejected on an unbounded trajectory. Asymmetric dipoles make loop-like motions and remain in the vicinity of the surface vortex. This model can help interpret the motions of Lagrangian floats at various depths in the ocean.

On the Effects of Circulation around a Circle on the Stability of a Thomson Vortex N-gon

The stability problem of the stationary rotation of N identical point vortices is considered. The vortices are located on a circle of radius R 0 at the vertices of a regular N-gon outside a circle of radius R. The circulation Γ around the circle is arbitrary. The problem has three parameters N, q, Γ , where q = R 2 / R 0 2 . This old problem of vortex dynamics is posed by Havelock (1931) and is a generalization of the Kelvin problem (1878) on the stability of a regular vortex polygon (Thomson N-gon) on the plane. In the case of Γ = 0 , the problem has already been solved: in the linear setting by Havelock, and in the nonlinear setting in the series of our papers. The contribution of this work to the solution of the problem consists in the analysis of the case of non-zero circulation Γ ≠ 0 . The linearization matrix and the quadratic part of the Hamiltonian are studied for all possible parameter values. Conditions for orbital stability and instability in the nonlinear setting are found. The parameter areas are specified where linear stability occurs and nonlinear analysis is required. The nonlinear stability theory of equilibria of Hamiltonian systems in resonant cases is applied. Two resonances that lead to instability in the nonlinear setting are found and investigated, although stability occurs in the linear approximation. All the results obtained are consistent with those known for Γ = 0 . This research is a necessary step in solving similar problems for the case of a moving circular cylinder, a model of vortices inside an annulus, and others.

Clustering of floating tracers in weakly divergent velocity fields

This work deals with buoyant tracers floating at the ocean surface, where the geostrophic velocity component is two dimensional and rotational (nondivergent) and the ageostrophic component can contain rotational and potential (divergent) contributions that are comparable in size. We consider a random kinematic flow model and study the process of clustering, that is, aggregation of the floating tracer in localized spatial patches. In the long-time limit and in the cases of strongly and weakly divergent flows, the existing analytical theory predicts the process of exponential clustering, which is the emergence of spatial singularities containing all the available tracer. Here we confirm this analytical prediction, in numerical model solutions spanning different combinations of rotational and potential surface velocity components, and report that exponential clustering persists even in weakly divergent flows, however at significantly slower rates. For a wide range of parameters, we analyze not only the exponential clustering but also the other type of tracer aggregation, referred to as fragmentation clustering, as well as the coarse-graining effects on clustering. For the presented analysis we consider ensembles of Lagrangian particles and introduce and apply the statistical topography methodology.