Lecture 4: Vorticity and circulation

The vorticity can be measured by placing a paddle wheel into the flow,
which spins at a rate /2:

4.1 Definition of vorticity and circulation

/2

We define the vorticity as the curl of the velocity field:

= u.

(4.1)

The circulation around a closed contour, C, is defined as the line integral

of the velocity along that contour:
""
!
dS,
C = u dl =

(4.2)

Some further examples:

where S is an arbitrary surface bounded by C.

a. solid body rotation, |u| r;

b. line vortex, |u| 1/r.

Vorticity measures the local spin of a fluid parcel about its own axis.
For simplicity, consider a 2-dimensional flow in the x y plane,
u = (u, v, 0), so that = (0, 0, ) where
=

v u

.
x y

For example, a fluid element both moves and is deformed by a shear flow:
a. The flow rotates as a solid body the fluid parcels are not deformed
and the paddle wheels spins about its own axis once per circuit of the

<0

vortex.

initial

later

b. = 0: an example of an irrotational flow see Lecture 5. The

spin associated with the curvature of the flow is completely offset by

The clockwise sense of rotation of the fluid parcel about its own centre of

an opposing spin from the shear of the vortex the paddle wheel

mass corresponds to negative vorticity: = u/y < 0.

circulates around the vortex but does not spin about its own axis.

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FFC 4-2

4.2 Derivation of the vorticity equation

4.3 Baroclinic production of vorticity

We start with the Navier Stokes equation (allowing to vary but u = 0):
1
u
+ u u + p + g k = 2u.
t

The term
% &
1
p

p =

2
represents the baroclinic production of vorticity.

Using the vector identity

#u u$
2

+ ( u) u,

This vanishes when the and p surfaces coincide with each other:

we can rewrite the momentum equation as:

#u u$ 1
u
+u+
+ p + g k = 2u.
t
2

p surface

u u =

We form a vorticity equation by taking the curl of the momentum equation:

%
&

1
+ ( u) +
p = 2.
t

surface

To continue we need to use the following vector identities:

Thus to get baroclinic production of vorticity, we require an angle between
the and p surfaces:

We also have:

1 p

( u) = ( u) ( )u u( ) + (u ),
%
&
% &
1
1

p =
p.

u = 0.

Using the above, we can rewrite the vorticity equation in its final form:
% &
1
D
=
p + ( )u + 2.
(4.3)
Dt

Thus the rate of change of absolute vorticity following a fluid parcel is

determined by several terms on the right-hand side of this equation. We
will now consider each of these terms in turn.
FFC 4-3

= ( u) = 0,

p surface
surface

The simplest example of a flow generated through the baroclinic producFFC 4-4

tion of vorticity is a density current:

4.4 Stretching and tilting

The term

( )u
represents the stretching and tilting of vortex tubes.

+
First some definitions:
Examples of density currents include sea breezes formed as a result of a
temperature gradient between the air over the land and over the sea, the
descent of salty, dense water from the Mediterranean as it flows into the
Atlantic, and particle laden flows such as avalanches and pyroclastic flows.

At any instant a vortex line (cf. magnetic field line) is defined as a line
that points in the direction of the vorticity vector . A vortex tube is
formed from a bundle of vortex lines:

The flux of vorticity through the tube (the strength of the tube) is
!
""
tube = u dl =
dS = C .
C

Pyroclastic flow on Mayon Volcano, Philippines (http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/)

It can be shown that if = 0 then the vortex tube and vortex lines moves
with the fluid flow (e.g., Acheson, pp. 162-4). This is a consequence of
Kelvins circulation theorem end of this lecture.

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FFC 4-6

Now returning to stretching and tilting of vortex tubes, consider an in-

Stretching of a vortex tube:

compressible vortex tube which is initially vertical:

( )u = (z)

u
v
w
u
= (z) i + (z) j + (z)
k.
z
z
z
z
tilting

initial
?

final
?

stretching
vortex
lines

w
w
z
z

stretch

Tilting of a vortex tube:

initial ?

final
?

As the vortex tube is stretched vertically, so it must contract horizontally

vortex
lines

u
u
z
z

tilt

to satisfy continuity. Thus, the vortex lines move closer together, increasing the magnitude of the initial vorticity.

4.5 Viscosity
The background shear tilts the vortex tube over, thus generating vorticity
at a right angle to the initial vorticity.

Finally,
2
represents the viscous source/sink of vorticity.
In the interior of a fluid, viscosity will generally damp any initial vorticity.
Adjacent to a solid boundary, viscosity and the no-slip boundary condition, can introduce vorticity into a fluid.

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FFC 4-8

first term on the right-hand side of (4.4), we obtain (exercise):

!
!
dp
DC
=
+ 2u dl.
Dt

4.6 Kelvins circulation theorem

Suppose C is a closed contour

(e.g., of dyed fluid parcels)

that moves with the flow.

(4.5)

This is Kelvins circulation theorem.

The figure shows the

In the absence of density variations and viscosity, the circulation is con-

displacement of C over

served along any contour that moves with the flow.

a time interval t.
How does the circulation around C evolve?
%
&
&
! %
!
Du
D dl
DC
=
dl + u
.
Dt
Dt
Dt
C

This is an extremely powerful result!

(4.4)

From the diagram:

This also leads to the beautiful properties of vortex tubes and vortex lines
discussed earlier.
A consequence of Kelvins circulation theorem, smoke rings:

dl(t + t)

u(x + dl, t) t

dl(t)

u(x, t) t

dl(t + t) dl(t) u(x + dl, t) t u(x, t) t (dl u) t.

Thus:
D dl
= dl u
Dt
and the second term on the right-hand side of (4.4) becomes
!
!
#u u$
u (dl u) =
dl = 0.
2
C

Finally, substituting for Du/Dt using the Navier Stokes equation in the
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FFC 4-10