3.

Vorticity
3.1. Denition and interpretation of vorticity
The vorticity is dened as the curl of the velocity
eld:
(r, t) = u(r, t) .
Vorticity is a measure of the local spin or rotation of
the uid. (Not QM spin!) [See Acheson, pp. 1112.]
For simplicity, consider 2D ow in xyplane,
/z = 0:
u =
_
u(x, y, t), v(x, y, t), 0
_
,
so = (0, 0, ) where =
v
x

u
y
.
Notes
For solid body rotation, u = ri

= (y, x, 0)
in Cartesians, = (0, 0, 2).
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But isnt generally a measure of large-scale
rotation: e.g. consider a line vortex, with velocity
1/r :
u =
A
r
i

=
_

Ay
x
2
+ y
2
,
Ax
x
2
+ y
2
, 0
_
.
Here = u = 0 (for r = 0). This is an
example of irrotational (i.e. zero vorticity) ow, for
r = 0.
Imagine a hypothetical vorticity meter placed in the
ow:
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(a) Solid body rotation: |u| r, ow gets faster as r
increases, meter spins, = 0:
(b) Line vortex: |u| r
1
, ow gets slower as r
increases, in just such a way that meter doesnt spin,
= 0.
(c) Linear shear ow: u = (y, 0, 0). No large-scale
rotation, but = = 0, local spin.
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3.2. The vorticity equation
Starting with the Navier-Stokes equation, we can derive
equations for the time-development of the vorticity.
Assume = const., incompressible, and = / =
const.
N-S equation (1.10)
u
t
+ (u )u =
1

p gk +
2
u
=
_
p

+ gz
_
+
2
u . (3.1)
Incompressibility (1.9) u = 0.
We need the vector identity
(u )u =
1
2
|u|
2
u (u)
[ check this: e.g. put F = G = u in formula for
(F G) on Data Sheet ].
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So (3.1)
u
t
+
_
1
2
|u|
2
+
p

+ gz
_
u (u) =
2
u .
(3.2)
Now use the denition of vorticity, = u. The
curl of (3.2) gives

t
(u ) =
2
(3.3)
this is called the vorticity equation.
[Uses curl(grad) = 0 and (
2
u) =
2
(u).]
But u = 0 and = 0 (since div(curl) = 0);
then a vector identity (see data sheet)
(u ) = ( )u (u ) .
So (3.3)

t
+ (u ) ( )u =
2

or
D
Dt
( )u =
2
(3.4)
another form of the vorticity equation.
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3.3. Kelvins Circulation Theorem
Suppose C is a closed circuit of uid particles (dyed)
that moves with the ow, and S is any surface that
spans C.
[The diagram shows circuit C at time t (solid) and at
time t + t (dashed), and also a line element dl of C.]
The circulation around C is dened as

_
C
u dl
_
=
_
S
dS
_
.
(The right-hand equality follows from Stokess
Theorem: see Problem 7.)
How does
C
change in time?
d
C
dt
=
_
C
_
Du
Dt
_
dl +
_
C
u
_
Ddl
Dt
_
(3.5)
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How does dl change in time? From diagram:
we have
dl(t + t) dl(t) + u(r + dl, t)t u(r, t)t
dl(t) + (dl u) t .
So
Ddl
Dt
lim
t0
_
dl(t + t) dl(t)
t
_
= dl u
and hence the second term on RHS of (3.5) becomes
_
C
u(dl u) =
_
C
dl
_
1
2
|u|
2
_
=
_
C
d
_
1
2
|u|
2
_
= 0 .
Substituting from NS, e.g. (3.1), into rst term on RHS
7
of (3.5), we get
d
C
dt
=
_
C
_

_
p

+ gz
_
+
2
u
_
dl .
Again the (...) dl term integrates out, leaving
d
C
dt
=
_
C
_

2
u
_
dl
= 0 if inviscid. (3.6)
Eq.(3.6) is Kelvins Circulation Theorem: for inviscid,
uniform-density ow, the circulation is constant
following a closed moving material circuit.
This is often useful, for both conceptual and practical
purposes.
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3.4. Conservation of vorticity in 2D inviscid ow
Inviscid: put = 0 in (3.4). (Re = UL/ .)
Consider 2D ow again, u = (u, v, 0), = (0, 0, ).
Then = /z = 0, so just get
D
Dt
= 0 .
Interpretation: vorticity of each uid blob is conserved
following the motion of the blob.
In particular, if the uid is irrotational everywhere at
t = 0, then it remains irrotational for t > 0.
inviscid, irrotational ow.
This was a favourite topic for 19th century applied
mathematicians: see, e.g., Lambs Hydrodynamics
(> 700 pages). But its still a useful idealisation for
modelling many important physical phenomena.
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