Chaotic advection near a three-vortex collapse

Collapse of generalized Euler and surface quasigeostrophic point vortices

Point-vortex models are presented for the generalized Euler equations, which are characterized by a fractional Laplacian relation between the active scalar and the stream function. Special focus is given to the case of the surface quasigeostrophic (SQG) equations, for which the existence of finite-time singularities is still a matter of debate. Point-vortex trajectories are expressed using Nambu dynamics. The formulation is based on a noncanonical bracket and allows for a geometrical interpretation of trajectories as intersections of level sets of the Hamiltonian and Casimir. Within this setting, we focus on the collapse of solutions for the three-point-vortex model. In particular, we show that for SQG the collapse can be either self-similar or non-self-similar. Self-similarity occurs only when the Hamiltonian is zero, while non-self-similarity appears for nonzero values of the same. For both cases, collapse is allowed for any choice of circulations within a permitted interval. These results differ strikingly from the classical point-vortex model, where collapse is self-similar for any value of the Hamiltonian, but the vortex circulations must satisfy a strict relationship. Results may also shed a light on the formation of singularities in the SQG partial differential equations, where the singularity is thought to be reached only in a self-similar way.

Nonlinear dynamics of an elliptic vortex embedded in an oscillatory shear flow

The nonlinear dynamics of an elliptic vortex subjected to a time-periodic linear external shear flow is studied numerically. Making use of the ideas from the theory of nonlinear resonance overlaps, the study focuses on the appearance of chaotic regimes in the ellipse dynamics. When the superimposed flow is stationary, two general types of the steady-state phase portrait are considered: one that features a homoclinic separatrix delineating bounded and unbounded phase trajectories and one without a separatrix (all the phase trajectories are bounded in a periodic domain). When the external flow is time-periodic, the ensuing nonlinear dynamics differs significantly in both cases. For the case with a separatrix and two distinct types of phase trajectories: bounded and unbounded, the effect of the most influential nonlinear resonance with the winding number of 1:1 is analyzed in detail. Namely, the process of occupying the central stability region associated with the steady-state elliptic critical point by the stability region associated with the nonlinear resonance of 1:1 as the perturbation frequency gradually varies is investigated. A stark increase in the persistence of the central regular dynamics region against perturbation when the resonance of 1:1 associated stability region occupies the region associated with the steady-state elliptic critical point is observed. An analogous persistence of the regular motion occurs for higher perturbation frequencies when the corresponding stability islands reach the central stability region associated with the steady-state elliptic point. An analysis for the case with the resonance of 1:2 is presented. For the second case with only bounded phase trajectories and, therefore, no separatrix, the appearance of much bigger stability islands associated with nonlinear resonances compared with the case with a separatrix is reported.

Global chaotization of fluid particle trajectories in a sheared two-layer two-vortex flow

In a two-layer quasi-geostrophic approximation, we study the irregular dynamics of fluid particles arising due to two interacting point vortices embedded in a deformation flow consisting of shear and rotational components. The two vortices are arranged within the bottom layer, but an emphasis is on the upper-layer fluid particle motion. Vortices moving in one layer induce stirring of passive scalars in the other layer. This is of interest since point vortices induce singular velocity fields in the layer they belong to; however, in the other layer, they induce regular velocity fields that generally result in a change in passive particle stirring. If the vortices are located at stagnation points, there are three different types of the fluid flow. We examine how properties of each flow configuration are modified if the vortices are displaced from the stagnation points and thus circulate in the immediate vicinity of these points. To that end, an analysis of the steady-state configurations is presented with an emphasis on the frequencies of fluid particle oscillations about the elliptic stagnation points. Asymptotic relations for the vortex and fluid particle zero-oscillation frequencies are derived in the vicinity of the corresponding elliptic points. By comparing the frequencies of fluid particles with the ones of the vortices, relations between the parameters that lead to enhanced stirring of fluid particles are established. It is also demonstrated that, if the central critical point is elliptic, then the fluid particle trajectories in its immediate vicinity are mostly stable making it harder for the vortex perturbation to induce stirring. Change in the type of the central point to a hyperbolic one enhances drastically the size of the chaotic dynamics region. Conditions on the type of the central critical point also ensue from the derived asymptotic relations.

Modulated point-vortex pairs on a rotating sphere: dynamics and chaotic advection

The dynamics of modulated point-vortex pairs is investigated on a rotating sphere, where modulation is chosen to reflect the conservation of angular momentum (potential vorticity). For sufficiently close vortices (dipoles) the trajectories of their center-of-mass are shown to correspond to those of a point particle moving freely on a rotating sphere. For finite size vortex pairs, a qualitative similarity to the geodesic dynamics is found. The advection dynamics generated by vortex pairs on a rotating sphere is found to be chaotic. In the short time dynamics we point out a transition from closed to open chaotic advection, which implies that the transport properties of the flow might drastically be altered by changing the initial conditions of the pair on the sphere. Due to spherical topology, for long times, even the open advection patterns are found to gradually cross over to that corresponding to a homogeneous closed mixing. This pattern extends along a zonal band, whereas short term closed mixing remains always bounded to the moving pair.

Targeted mixing in an array of alternating vortices

Transport and mixing properties of passive particles advected by an array of vortices are investigated. Starting from the integrable case, it is shown that a special class of perturbations allows one to preserve separatrices which act as effective transport barriers, while triggering chaotic advection. In this setting, mixing within the two dynamical barriers is enhanced while long range transport is prevented. A numerical analysis of mixing properties depending on parameter values is performed; regions for which optimal mixing is achieved are proposed. Robustness of the targeted mixing properties regarding errors in the applied perturbation are considered, as well as slip/no-slip and/or boundary conditions for the flow.

Anomalous transport in Charney-Hasegawa-Mima flows

The transport properties of particles evolving in a system governed by the Charney-Hasegawa-Mima equation are investigated. Transport is found to be anomalous with a nonlinear evolution of the second moments with time. The origin of this anomaly is traced back to the presence of chaotic jets within the flow. All characteristic transport exponents have a similar value around mu = 1.75, which is also the one found for simple point vortex flows in the literature, indicating some kind of universality. Moreover, the law gamma = mu + 1 linking the trapping-time exponent within jets to the transport exponent is confirmed, and an accumulation toward zero of the spectrum of the finite-time Lyapunov exponent is observed. The localization of a jet is performed, and its structure is analyzed. It is clearly shown that despite a regular coarse-grained picture of the jet, the motion within the jet appears as chaotic, but that chaos is bounded on successive small scales.

Jets, stickiness, and anomalous transport

Dynamical and statistical properties of the vortex and passive particle advection in chaotic flows generated by 4- and 16-point vortices are investigated. General transport properties of these flows are found to be anomalous and exhibit a superdiffusive behavior with typical second moment exponent mu approximately 1.75. The origin of this anomaly is traced to the presence of coherent structures within the flow, the vortex cores, and the region far from where vortices are located. In the vicinity of these regions stickiness is observed and the motion of tracers is quasiballistic. The chaotic nature of the underlying flow dictates the choice for thorough analysis of transport properties. Passive tracer motion is analyzed by measuring the mutual relative evolution of two nearby tracers. Some tracers travel in each other's vicinity for relatively long times. This is related to a hidden order for the tracers, which we call jets. Jets are localized and found in sticky regions. Their structure is analyzed and found to be formed of a nested set of jets within jets. The analysis of the jet trapping time statistics shows a quantitative agreement with the observed transport exponent.