Premium
“Explosively growing” vortices of unstably stratified atmosphere
Author(s) -
Onishchenko O. G.,
Horton W.,
Pokhotelov O. A.,
Fedun V.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8996
pISSN - 2169-897X
DOI - 10.1002/2016jd025961
Subject(s) - inviscid flow , vortex , vorticity , physics , potential vorticity , mechanics , vortex stretching , vortex ring , burgers vortex , vorticity equation , atmosphere (unit) , flow (mathematics) , classical mechanics , meteorology
A new type of “explosively growing” vortex structure is investigated theoretically in the framework of ideal fluid hydrodynamics. It is shown that vortex structures may arise in convectively unstable atmospheric layers containing background vorticity. From an exact analytical vortex solution the vertical vorticity structure and toroidal speed are derived and analyzed. The assumption that vorticity is constant with height leads to a solution that grows explosively when the flow is inviscid. The results shown are in agreement with observations and laboratory experiments