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During the fall of 2001, 59 participants from 12 countries met in Zakopane, Poland, to discuss the fluid dynamics of vortex tubes and sheets, often considered to be the basic building blocks of fluid flow at high Reynolds numbers, whether laminar or turbulent in nature. Their structure, stability, and evolution affect many important physical processes such as magnetic flux tubes in magnetohydrodynamics and the development and maintenance of turbulent shear flows. These coherent structures occur at scales rang

An informal introduction is provided to a range of topics in fluid dynamics having a topological character. These topics include flows with boundary singularities, Lagrangian chaos, frozen-in fields, magnetohydrodynamic analogies, fast- and slow-dynamo mechanisms, magnetic relaxation, minimum-energy states, knotted flux tubes, vortex reconnection and the finite-time singularity problem. The paper concludes with a number of open questions concerning the above topics.

Extreme events in turbulent flow are associated with intense stretching of concentrated vortices, intermittent in both space and time. The occurrence of such events has been investigated in a turbulent flow driven by counter-rotating propellors (Debue et al., J. Fluid Mech., 2021), and local flow structures have been identified. Interesting theoretical problems arise in relation to this work; these are briefly considered in this focus paper.

The behaviour of a viscous drop squeezed between two horizontal planes is treated by both theory and experiment. When the squeezing force F is constant and surface tension is neglected, the theory predicts ultimate growth of the radius a~ t^{1/8}, in excellent agreement with our experiment. Surface tension at the drop boundary is included in the analysis, although negligibly small in the squeezing experiments. The circular evolution is found to be stable under small perturbations. If the force is reversed (F < 0), so that the plates are pulled or levered apart, the boundary of the drop is subject to a fingering instability. The effect of a trapped air bubble at the centre of the drop is then considered. The annular evolution of the drop under constant squeezing is still found to follow a `one-eighth' power law, but this is unstable, the instability originating at the boundary of the air bubble. If the plates are drawn apart, the evolution is still subject to the fingering instability driven from the outer boundary of the annulus. This instability is realised experimentally by levering the plates apart at one corner: fingering develops at the outer boundary and spreads rapidly to the interior as the levering is slowly increased. At a later stage, small cavitation bubbles appear in the very low pressure region far from the point of leverage. This exotic behaviour is discussed in the light of the foregoing theoretical analysis., 23 pages, 12 figures, submitted to J. Fluid Mech

Random waves in a uniformly rotating plasma in the presence of a locally uniform seed magnetic field and subject to weak kinematic viscosity ν and resistivity η are considered. These “Lehnert” waves may have either positive or negative helicity, and it is supposed that waves of a single sign of helicity are preferentially excited by a symmetry-breaking mechanism. A mean electromotive force proportional to ν-η is derived, demonstrating the conflicting effects of the two diffusive processes. Attention is then focussed on the situation η=0, relevant to conditions in the universe before and during galaxy formation. An α-effect, axisymmetric about the rotation vector, is derived, decaying on a time-scale proportional to ν-1; this amplifies a large-scale seed magnetic field to a level independent of ν, this field being subsequently steady and having the character of a “fossil field”. Subsequent evolution of this fossil field is briefly discussed.

Equations describing the rolling of a spherical ball on a horizontal surface are obtained, the motion being activated by an internal rotor driven by a battery mechanism. The rotor is modeled as a point mass mounted inside a spherical shell and caused to move in a prescribed circular orbit relative to the shell. The system is described in terms of four independent dimensionless parameters. The equations governing the angular momentum of the ball relative to the point of contact with the plane constitute a six-dimensional, nonholonomic, nonautonomous dynamical system with cubic nonlinearity. This system is decoupled from a subsidiary system that describes the trajectories of the center of the ball. Numerical integration of these equations for prescribed values of the parameters and initial conditions reveals a tendency toward chaotic behavior as the radius of the circular orbit of the point mass increases (other parameters being held constant). It is further shown that there is a range of values of the initial angular velocity of the shell for which chaotic trajectories are realized while contact between the shell and the plane is maintained. The predicted behavior has been observed in our experiments.

The evolution towards a finite-time singularity of the Navier–Stokes equations for flow of an incompressible fluid of kinematic viscosity$\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$is studied, starting from a finite-energy configuration of two vortex rings of circulation$\pm \unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$and radius$R$, symmetrically placed on two planes at angles$\pm \unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}$to a plane of symmetry$x=0$. The minimum separation of the vortices,$2s$, and the scale of the core cross-section,$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}$, are supposed to satisfy the initial inequalities$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}\ll s\ll R$, and the vortex Reynolds number$R_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$is supposed very large. It is argued that in the subsequent evolution, the behaviour near the points of closest approach of the vortices (the ‘tipping points’) is determined solely by the curvature$\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F})$at the tipping points and by$s(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F})$and$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F})$, where$\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}=(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}/R^{2})t$is a dimensionless time variable. The Biot–Savart law is used to obtain analytical expressions for the rate of change of these three variables, and a nonlinear dynamical system relating them is thereby obtained. The solution shows a finite-time singularity, but the Biot–Savart law breaks down just before this singularity is realised, when$\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}s$and$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}/\!s$become of order unity. The dynamical system admits ‘partial Leray scaling’ of just$s$and$\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$, and ultimately full Leray scaling of$s,\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$and$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}$, conditions for which are obtained. The tipping point trajectories are determined; these meet at the singularity point at a finite angle. An alternative model is briefly considered, in which the initial vortices are ovoidal in shape, approximately hyperbolic near the tipping points, for which there is no restriction on the initial value of the parameter$\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}$; however, it is still the circles of curvature at the tipping points that determine the local evolution, so the same dynamical system is obtained, with breakdown again of the Biot–Savart approach just before the incipient singularity is realised. The Euler flow situation ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}=0$) is considered, and it is conjectured on the basis of the above dynamical system that a finite-time singularity can indeed occur in this case.

In Part 1 of this work, we have derived a dynamical system describing the approach to a finite-time singularity of the Navier-Stokes equations. We now supplement this system with an equation describing the process of vortex reconnection at the apex of a pyramid, neglecting core deformation during the reconnection process. On this basis, we compute the maximum vorticity $\omega_{max}$ as a function of vortex Reynolds number $R_\Gamma$ in the range $2000\le R_\Gamma \le 3400$, and deduce a compatible behaviour $\omega_{max}\sim \omega_{0}\exp{\left[1 + 220 \left(\log\left[R_{\Gamma}/2000\right]\right)^{2}\right]}$ as $R_\Gamma\rightarrow \infty$. This may be described as a physical (although not strictly mathematical) singularity, for all $R_\Gamma \gtrsim 4000$., Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, accepted for JFM Rapids

Singularities of the Navier-Stokes equations occur when some derivative of the velocity field is infinite at any point of a field of flow (or, in an evolving flow, becomes infinite at any point within a finite time). Such singularities can be mathematical (as e.g. in two-dimensional flow near a sharp corner, or the collapse of a Mobius-strip soap film onto a wire boundary) in which case they can be resolved by refining the geometrical description; or they can be physical (as e.g. in the case of cusp singularities at a fluid/fluid interface) in which case resolution of the singularity involves incorporation of additional physical effects; these examples will be briefly reviewed. The finite-time singularity problem for the Navier-Stokes equations will then be discussed and a recently developed analytical approach will be presented; here it will be shown that, even when viscous vortex reconnection is taken into account, there is indeed a physical singularity, in that, at sufficiently high Reynolds number, vorticity can be amplified by an arbitrarily large factor in an extremely small point-neighbourhood within a finite time, and this behaviour is not resolved by viscosity. Similarities with the soap-film-collapse and free-surface--cusping problems are noted in the concluding section, and the implications for turbulence are considered., Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Fluids 2019

Vortex reconnection under Biot–Savart evolution is investigated geometrically and numerically using a tent model consisting of vortex filaments initially in the form of two tilted hyperbolic branches; the vortices are antiparallel at their points of nearest approach. It is shown that the tips of these vortices approach each other, accelerating as they do so to form a finite-time singularity at the apex of the tent. The minimum separation of the vortices and the maximum velocity and axial strain rate exhibit nearly self-similar Leray scaling, but the exponents of the velocity and strain rate deviate slightly from their respective self-similar values of $-1/2$ and $-1$; this deviation is associated with the appearance of distinct minima of curvature leading to cusp structures at the tips. The writhe and twist of each vortex are both zero at all times up to the instant of reconnection. By way of validation of the model, the structure of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the rate-of-strain tensor is investigated: it is shown that the second eigenvalue $\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{2}$ has dipole structure around the vortex filaments. At the tips, it is observed that $\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{2}$ is positive and the corresponding eigenvector is tangent to the filament, implying persistent stretching of the vortex.

Based on experimental evidence that vortex reconnection commences with the approach of nearly antiparallel segments of vorticity, a linearised model is developed in which two Burgers-type vortices are driven together and stretched by an ambient irrotational strain field induced by more remote vorticity. When these Burgers vortices are exactly antiparallel, they are annihilated on the strain time-scale, independent of kinematic viscosity $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}\nu $ in the limit $\nu \rightarrow 0$. When the vortices are skew to each other, they are annihilated under this action over a local extent that increases exponentially in the stretching direction, with clear evidence of reconnection on the same strain time-scale. The initial helicity associated with the skewed geometry is eliminated during the process of reconnection. The model applies equally to the reconnection of weak magnetic flux tubes under the action of a strain field, when Lorentz forces are negligible.

If, in a large expanse of fluid such as air or water, an object that is heavier than the fluid displaced is released from rest, it descends in a manner that can depend in a complex way on its geometry and density (relative to that of the fluid), and on the fluid viscosity, which, as in other fluid contexts, remains important no matter how small this viscosity may be. A major numerical attack on this problem for the case in which the object is a thin circular disc is presented by Auguste, Magnaudet & Fabre (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 719, 2013, pp. 388–405).

The flow field over an accelerating rotating wing model at Reynolds numbers Re ranging from 250 to 2000 is investigated using particle image velocimetry, and compared with the flow obtained by three-dimensional time-dependent Navier-Stokes simulations. It is shown that the coherent leading-edge vortex that characterises the flow field at Re~200-300 transforms to a laminar separation bubble as Re is increased. It is further shown that the ratio of the instantaneous circulation of the leading-edge vortex in the accel-eration phase to that over a wing rotating steadily at the same Re decreases monotonically with increasing Re. We conclude that the traditional approach based on steady wing rotation is inadequate for the prediction of the aerodynamic performance of flapping wings at Re above about 1000.

A class of similarity solutions for two-dimensional unsteady flow in the neighbourhood of a front or rear stagnation point on a plane boundary is considered, and a wide range of possible behaviour is revealed, depending on whether the flow in the far field is accelerating or decelerating. The solutions, when they exist, are exact solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations, having a boundary-layer character analogous to that of the classical steady front stagnation point flow. The velocity profiles are obtained by numerical integration of a nonlinear ordinary differential equation. For the front-flow situation, the solution is unique for the accelerating case, but bifurcates for modest deceleration, while for sufficient rapid deceleration there exists a one-parameter family of solutions. For the rear-flow situation, a unique solution exists (remarkably!) for sufficiently strong acceleration, and a one-parameter family again exists for sufficient strong deceleration. Analytic results, which are consistent with the numerical results, are obtained in the limits of strong acceleration or deceleration, and for the asymptotic behaviour far from the boundary.

The mean electromotive force (EMF) associated with exponentially growing perturbations of an Euler flow with elliptic streamlines in a rotating frame of reference is studied. We are motivated by the possibility of dynamo action triggered by tidal deformation of astrophysical objects such as accretion discs, stars or planets. Ellipticity of the flow models such tidal deformations in the simplest way. Using analytical techniques developed by Lebovitz & Zweibel (Astrophys. J., vol. 609, 2004, pp. 301–312) in the limit of small elliptic (tidal) deformations, we find the EMF associated with each resonant instability described by Mizerski & Bajer (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 632, 2009, pp. 401–430), and for arbitrary ellipticity the EMF associated with unstable horizontal modes. Mixed resonance between unstable hydrodynamic and magnetic modes and resonance between unstable and oscillatory horizontal modes both lead to a non-vanishing mean EMF which grows exponentially in time. The essential conclusion is that interactions between unstable eigenmodes with the same wave-vector $\mathbi{k}$ can lead to a non-vanishing mean EMF, without any need for viscous or magnetic dissipation. This applies generally (and not only to the elliptic instabilities considered here).

The Lighthill–Weis-Fogh ‘clap–fling–sweep’ mechanism for lift generation in insect flight is re-examined. The novelty of this mechanism lies in the change of topology (the ‘break’) that occurs at a critical instanttcwhen two wings separate at their ‘hinge’ point as ‘fling’ gives way to ‘sweep’, and the appearance of equal and opposite circulations around the wings at this critical instant. Our primary aim is to elucidate the behaviour near the hinge point as timetpasses throughtc. First, Lighthill's inviscid potential flow theory is reconsidered. It is argued that provided the linear and angular accelerations of the wings are continuous, the velocity field varies continuously through the break, although the pressure field jumps instantaneously att=tc. Then, effects of viscosity are considered. Near the hinge, the local Reynolds number is very small and local similarity solutions imply a logarithmic (integrable) singularity of the pressure jump across the hinge just before separation, in contrast to the ‘negligible pressure jump’ of inviscid theory invoked by Lighthill. We also present numerical simulations of the flow using a volume penalization technique to represent the motion of the wings. For Reynolds number equal to unity (based on wing chord), the results are in good agreement with the analytical solution. At a realistic Reynolds number of about 20, the flow near the hinge is influenced by leading-edge vortices, but local effects still persist. The lift coefficient is found to be much greater than that in the corresponding inviscid flow.

Ten years have elapsed since the passing of George Keith Batchelor (8 March 1920–30 March 2000), formerly Professor of Fluid Dynamics at the University of Cambridge, and Founder Editor of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics. It is fitting to remind the readers of this Journal what a great scientist he was, both in respect of his own contributions to our subject, and even more in respect of his inspirational influence on generations of research students and younger colleagues, and also more widely on the international stage, on which he was a revered, if sometimes controversial, personality.

Shear flow is prone to transient instability in which perturbations having little or no variation in the streamwise direction can grow linearly for a long time if the Reynolds number is large. This behaviour is known to provide a trigger for the development of secondary instabilities and transition to turbulence. It is shown by a simple analysis of Kelvin modes that a spanwise magnetic field is efficient in suppressing this transient instability and therefore in inhibiting the transition to turbulence.

We show how the ideas of topology and variational principle, opened up by Euler, facilitate the calculation of motion of vortex rings. Kelvin–Benjamin’s principle, as generalised to three dimensions, states that a steady distribution of vorticity, relative to a moving frame, is the state that maximizes the total kinetic energy, under the constraint of constant hydrodynamic impulse, on an iso-vortical sheet. By adapting this principle, combined with an asymptotic solution of the Euler equations, we make an extension of Fraenkel–Saffman’s formula for the translation velocity of an axisymmetric vortex ring to third order in a small parameter, the ratio of the core radius to the ring radius. Saffman’s formula for a viscous vortex ring is also extended to third order.

A physically transparent and mathematically streamlined derivation is presented for a third-order nonlinear dynamical system that describes the curious chiral reversals of a celt (rattleback). The system is integrable, and its solutions are periodic, showing an infinite succession of spin reversals. Inclusion of linear dissipation allows any given number of reversals, and a typical celt's observed behaviour is well captured by tuning the dissipation parameters.

A one-dimensional model of magnetic relaxation in a pressureless low-resistivity plasma is considered. The initial two-component magnetic field $\boldsymbol{b}(\boldsymbol{x},t)$ is strongly helical, with non-uniform helicity density. The magnetic pressure gradient drives a velocity field that is dissipated by viscosity. Relaxation occurs in two phases. The first is a rapid initial phase in which the magnetic energy drops sharply and the magnetic pressure becomes approximately uniform; the helicity density is redistributed during this phase but remains non-uniform, and although the total helicity remains relatively constant, a Taylor state is not established. The second phase is one of slow diffusion, in which the velocity is weak, though still driven by persistent weak non-uniformity of magnetic pressure; during this phase, magnetic energy and helicity decay slowly and at constant ratio through the combined effects of pressure equalisation and finite resistivity. The density field, initially uniform, develops rapidly (in association with the magnetic field) during the initial phase, and continues to evolve, developing sharp maxima, throughout the diffusive stage. Finally it is proved that, if the resistivity is zero, the spatial mean $\langle (\boldsymbol{b}\boldsymbol{\cdot }\boldsymbol{{\rm\nabla}}\times \boldsymbol{b})/b^{2}\rangle$ is an invariant of the governing one-dimensional induction equation.

Following parts I and II of this series, the geometry of steady states for a general convex axisymmetric rigid body spinning on a horizontal table is analysed. A general relationship between the pedal curve of the cross-section of the body and the height of its centre-of-mass above the table is obtained which allows for a straightforward determination of static equilibria. It is shown, in particular, that there exist convex axisymmetric bodies having arbitrarily many static equilibria. Four basic categories of non-isolated fixed-point branches (i.e. steady states) are identified in the general case. Depending on the geometry of the spinning body and its dynamical properties (i.e. position of centre-of-mass and inertia tensor), these elementary branches are differently interconnected in the six-dimensional system phase space and form a complex global structure. The geometry of such structures is analysed and topologically distinct classes of configurations are identified. Detailed analysis is presented for a spheroid with displaced centre-of-mass and for the tippe-top. In particular, it is shown that the fixed-point structure of the flip-symmetric spheroid, discussed in part I, represents a degenerate configuration whose degeneracy is destroyed by breaking the symmetry. For the spheroid, there are in general nine distinct classes of fixed-point structures and for the tippe-top there are three such structures. Bifurcations between these classes are identified in the parameter space of the system.

Following part I of this series, the general spinning motion of an axisymmetric rigid body on a horizontal table is further analysed, allowing for slip and friction at the point of contact. Attention is focused on the case of spheroids whose density distribution is such that the centre-of-mass and centre-of-volume coincide. The governing dynamical system is treated by a multiple-scale technique in order to resolve the two time-scales intrinsic to the dynamics. An approximate solution for the high-frequency component of the motion reveals that the normal reaction can oscillate with growing amplitude, and in some circumstances will fall to zero, leading to temporary loss of contact between the spheroid and the table. The exact solution for the free motion that ensues after this ‘jumping’ is analysed, and the time-dependence of the gap between the spheroid and the table is obtained up to the time when contact with the table is re-established. The analytical results agree well with numerical simulations of the exact equations, both up to and after loss of contact.

The viscous interaction of two weakly curved and oppositely directed vortex tubes of flattened cross-section driven together by an imposed uniform strain is considered using a perturbation technique. The evolution of the cross-sectional vorticity distribution is computed, and the rate of reconnexion, as indicated by the decrease of circulation of each tube at the plane of symmetry, is obtained for various values of the Reynolds number and of the (small) aspect ratio of the tubes. Attention is focused particularly on the nonlinear effect of convection by the velocity field induced by the vortices. A similar technique is applied to the problem of reconnexion of magnetic flux tubes, for which the nonlinear effect is different, being that associated with the Lorentz force distribution.

The general spinning motion of an axisymmetric rigid body on a horizontal table is analysed, allowing for slip and friction at the point of contact P. Attention is focused on the case of spheroids (prolate or oblate), and particularly on spheroids whose density distribution is such that the centre-of-mass and centre-of-volume coincide. Four classes of fixed points (i.e. steady states) are identified, and the linear stability properties in each case are determined, assuming viscous friction at P. The governing dynamical system is six-dimensional. Trajectories of the system are computed, and are shown in projection in a three-dimensional subspace; these start near unstable fixed points and (in the case of viscous friction) end at stable fixed points. It is shown inter alia that a uniform prolate spheroid set in sufficiently rapid spinning motion with its axis horizontal is unstable, and its axis rises to a stable steady state, at either an intermediate angle or the vertical, depending on the initial angular velocity. These computations allow an assessment of the circumstances under which the condition described as ‘gyroscopic balance’ is realized. Under this condition, the evolution from an unstable to a stable state is greatly simplified, being described by a first-order differential equation. Oscillatory modes which are stable on linear analysis may be destabilized during this evolution, with consequential oscillations in the normal reaction R at the point of support. The computations presented here are restricted to circumstances in which R remains positive.

We study the stability of a perfectly conducting body in a magnetostatic equilibrium. The body is immersed in a fluid which is threaded by a three-dimensional magnetic field. The fluid may be perfectly conducting, non-conducting or have finite conductivity. We generalise the classical stability criterion of Bernstein et al. (Proc. Roy. Soc. London Ser. A 244 (1958) 17–40; I.B. Bernstein, The variational principle for problems of ideal magnetohydrodynamic stability, in: A.A. Galeev, R.N. Sudan (Eds.), Basic Plasma Physics: Selected Chapters, North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1989, pp. 199–227) and show that the body is stable to small isomagnetic perturbations if and only if the magnetic energy has a minimum at the equilibrium. For an equilibrium of a body in potential magnetic field, we obtain a sufficient condition for genuine nonlinear stability.

Reconnection of a vortex filament under the Biot–Savart law is investigated numerically using a vortex ring twisted in the form of a figure-of-eight. For the numerical method, the vortex ring is divided into piecewise linear segments, and the Biot-Savart integral is approximated by a summation over the segments with a cut-off method to deal with the singular terms. It is demonstrated that the centre part of the skewed vortex 'chopsticks', where the interaction is maximal, tends to approach and accelerate to form a singularity while making a 'tent-like' structure as shown by de Waele and Aarts (1994 Phys. Rev. Lett. 72 pp 482–5). The minimum separation of the chopsticks, the maximum velocity and the maximum axial strain rate show clear scaling exponents near the singularity consistent with Leray scaling for self-similar solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations.

George Batchelor was a pioneering figure in two branches of fluid dynamics: turbulence, in which he became a world leader over the 15 years from 1945 to 1960; and suspension mechanics (or ‘microhydrodynamics’), which developed under his initial impetus and continuing guidance throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He also exerted great influence in establishing a universally admired standard of publication in fluid dynamics through his role as founder Editor of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics , the leading journal of the subject, which he edited continuously over four decades. His famous textbook, An introduction to fluid dynamics , first published in 1967, showed the hand of a great master of the subject. Together with D. Küchemann, F.R.S., he established in 1964 the European Mechanics Committee (forerunner of the present European Society for Mechanics), which over the 24-year period of his chairmanship supervised the organization of no fewer than 230 European Mechanics Colloquia spanning the whole field of fluid and solid mechanics; while within Cambridge, where he was a Fellow of Trinity College and successively Lecturer, Reader and Professor of Applied Mathematics, he was an extraordinarily effective Head of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics from its foundation in 1959 until his retirement in 1983.

▪ Abstract This essay is based on the G.K. Batchelor Memorial Lecture that I delivered in May 2000 at the Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP), Santa Barbara, where two parallel programs on Turbulence and Astrophysical Turbulence were in progress. It focuses on George Batchelor's major contributions to the theory of turbulence, particularly during the postwar years when the emphasis was on the statistical theory of homogeneous turbulence. In all, his contributions span the period 1946–1992 and are for the most part concerned with the Kolmogorov theory of the small scales of motion, the decay of homogeneous turbulence, turbulent diffusion of a passive scalar field, magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, rapid distortion theory, two-dimensional turbulence, and buoyancy-driven turbulence.

The three-dimensional flow in a corner of fixed angle α induced by the rotation in its plane of one of the boundaries is considered. A local similarity solution valid in a neighbourhood of the centre of rotation is obtained and the streamlines are shown to be closed curves. The effects of inertia are considered and are shown to be significant in a small neighbourhood of the plane of symmetry of the flow. A simple experiment confirms that the streamlines are indeed nearly closed; their projections on planes normal to the line of intersection of the boundaries are precisely the ‘Taylor’ streamlines of the well-known ‘paint-scraper’ problem. Three geometrical variants are considered: (i) when the centre of rotation of the lower plate is offset from the contact line; (ii) when both planes rotate with different angular velocities about a vertical axis and Coriolis effects are retained in the analysis; and (iii) when two vertical planes intersecting at an angle 2β are honed by a rotating conical boundary. The last is described by a similarity solution of the first kind (in the terminology of Barenblatt) which incorporates within its structure a similarity solution of the second kind involving corner eddies of a type familiar in two-dimensional corner flows.

A large-Reynolds-number asymptotic solution of the Navier–Stokes equations is sought for the motion of an axisymmetric vortex ring of small cross-section embedded in a viscous incompressible fluid. In order to take account of the influence of elliptical deformation of the core due to the self-induced strain, the method of matched of matched asymptotic expansions is extended to a higher order in a small parameter ε = (v/Γ)1/2, where v is the kinematic viscosity of fluid and Γ is the circulation. Alternatively, ε is regarded as a measure of the ratio of the core radius to the ring radius, and our scheme is applicable also to the steady inviscid dynamics.We establish a general formula for the translation speed of the ring valid up to third order in ε. This is a natural extension of Fraenkel–Saffman's first-order formula, and reduces, if specialized to a particular distribution of vorticity in an inviscid fluid, to Dyson's third-order formula. Moreover, it is demonstrated, for a ring starting from an infinitely thin circular loop of radius R0, that viscosity acts, at third order, to expand the circles of stagnation points of radii Rs(t) and R˜s(t) relative to the laboratory frame and a comoving frame respectively, and that of peak vorticity of radius R˜p(t) as Rs ≈ R0 + [2 log(4R0/√vt) + 1.4743424] vt/R0, R˜s ≈ R0 + 2.5902739 vt/R0, and Rp ≈ R0 + 4.5902739 vt/R0. The growth of the radial centroid of vorticity, linear in time, is also deduced. The results are compatible with the experimental results of Sallet & Widmayer (1974) and Weigand & Gharib (1997).The procedure of pursuing the higher-order asymptotics provides a clear picture of the dynamics of a curved vortex tube; a vortex ring may be locally regarded as a line of dipoles along the core centreline, with their axes in the propagating direction, subjected to the self-induced flow field. The strength of the dipole depends not only on the curvature but also on the location of the core centre, and therefore should be specified at the initial instant. This specification removes an indeterminacy of the first-order theory. We derive a new asymptotic development of the Biot-Savart law for an arbitrary distribution of vorticity, which makes the non-local induction velocity from the dipoles calculable at third order.

The interaction of two propagating vortex pairs is considered, each pair being initially aligned along the positive principal axis of strain associated with the other. As a preliminary, the action of accelerating strain on a Burgers vortex is considered and the conditions for a finite-time singularity (or ‘blow-up’) are determined. The asymptotic high Reynolds number behaviour of such a vortex under non-axisymmetric strain, and the corresponding behaviour of a vortex pair, are described. This leads naturally to consideration of the interaction of the two vortex pairs, and identifies a mechanism by which blow-up may occur through self-similar evolution in an interaction zone where scale decreases in proportion to (t* − t)1/2, where t* is the singularity time. The relevance of Leray scaling in this interaction zone is discussed.