This article is cited in 2 papers

On one mechanism of formation of tornado-like vortices in a rotating fluid

B. A. Lugovtsov

Lavrent'ev Institute of Hydrodynamics, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090

Abstract: It is shown that during excitation of forced, resonant, inertial oscillations of large amplitude in a rigidly rotating fluid, the mechanism of formation of tornado-like vortices is primarily of a kinematic nature(advection of circulation of the azimuthal component velocity and stretching of vortex lines by the poloidal components of the velocity field that arise from excitation of inertial oscillations). The main parameters of the vortices are obtained by solutions of model problems. To excite such oscillations, it is necessary to deliver energy far exceeding the initial energy of the rotating fluid. Therefore, inertial oscillations by themselves cannot lead to the occurrence of intense atmospheric vortices. Nevertheless, such oscillations can apparently play the role of a trigger mechanism that activates more complex processes of vortex formation related to instability of the atmosphere.

UDC: 532.5

Received: 24.12.2001

 English version: Journal of Applied Mechanics and Technical Physics, 2002, 43:2, 237–244

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