Dynamics of a helical vortex ring interacting with a vortex line

Bai, Wen-Kai; Yang, Xue; Zhu, Hao; Gardiner, S. A.; Liu, Wu-Ming; Yang, Tao

Abstract

Helical vortex rings are intriguing flow phenomena observed in both classical and quantum fluids, playing a crucial role in the examination of turbulence. Despite significant research dedicated to understanding their dynamics, studies on the interaction between vortex lines and vortex rings remain limited. Here, we show the dynamics of a helical vortex ring interacting with a vortex line. Through manipulation of the polarity and magnitude of the topological charge along the axis of the vortex ring, we show a change in the translational speed and angular rotation of the vortex ring. To gain deeper insights into the dynamics of intricate vortex structures in the presence of a vortex line, we analyse the evolution of the moment of inertia tensor during this evolution. The results provide insights into the dynamics of helical vortex rings, contributing to a deeper comprehension of turbulence generation and dissipation.

Citation

Bai, W.-K., Yang, X., Zhu, H., Gardiner, S. A., Liu, W.-M., & Yang, T. (2025). Dynamics of a helical vortex ring interacting with a vortex line. Communications Physics, 8(1), Article 183. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02109-x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 2, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Apr 29, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025
• Deposit Date: May 1, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: May 14, 2025
• Journal: Communications Physics
• Electronic ISSN: 2399-3650
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 183
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02109-x
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3834272