Numerical study of the behaviour of a system of parallel line vortices

Abstract

The dynamical behaviour of a system of parallel line vortices in an inviscid fluid is studied numerically. The initial configuration of the system is assumed to be such that the points of intersection of the line vortices with a plane normal to the vorticity form a regular polygon. The numerical experiments show that the vortex polygon is rearranged due to non-linear interactions among the line vortices in such a way as to produce a more or less uniform distribution of vortices inside the fluid with an approximately constant mean separation. The average angular velocity of the rotation of the vortex lines about the instantaneous centroid of the vortex system remains approximately constant. These results agree with the conjecture of Raja Gopal (1964). The results may prove to be of some value in a macroscopic model of liquid helium based on hydrodynamical principles.