Vortex dynamics on a cylinder

Point vortices on a cylinder (periodic strip) are studied geometrically. The Hamiltonian formalism is developed, a non-existence theorem for relative equilibria is proved, equilibria are classified when all vorticities have the same sign, and several results on relative periodic orbits are established, including as corollaries classical results on vortex streets and leapfrogging.Comment: LaTeX2e, 13 pages, 5 figure

Vortex crystals

Vortex crystals is one name in use for the subject of vortex patterns that move without change of shape or size. Most of what is known pertains to the case of arrays of parallel line vortices moving so as to produce an essentially two-dimensional flow. The possible patterns of points indicating the intersections of these vortices with a plane perpendicular to them have been studied for almost 150 years. Analog experiments have been devised, and experiments with vortices in a variety of fluids have been performed. Some of the states observed are understood analytically. Others have been found computationally to high precision. Our degree of understanding of these patterns varies considerably. Surprising connections to the zeros of 'special functions' arising in classical mathematical physics have been revealed. Vortex motion on two-dimensional manifolds, such as the sphere, the cylinder (periodic strip) and torus (periodic parallelogram) has also been studied, because of the potential applications, and some results are available regarding the problem of vortex crystals in such geometries. Although a large amount of material is available for review, some results are reported here for the first time. The subject seems pregnant with possibilities for further development.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

Dynamics of poles with position-dependent strengths and its optical analogues

The dynamics of point vortices is generalized in two ways: first by making the strengths complex, which allows for sources and sinks in superposition with the usual vortices, second by making them functions of position. These generalizations lead to a rich dynamical system, which is nonlinear and yet has conservation laws coming from a Hamiltonian-like formalism. We then discover that in this system the motion of a pair mimics the behavior of rays in geometric optics. We describe several exact solutions with optical analogues, notably Snell's law and the law of reflection off a mirror, and perform numerical experiments illustrating some striking behavior.Comment: 10 page

On relative normal modes

We generalize the Weinstein-Moser theorem on the existence of nonlinear normal modes near an equilibrium in a Hamiltonian system to a theorem on the existence of relative perodic orbits near a relative equilibrium in a Hamiltonian system with continuous symmetries. In particular we prove that under appropriate hypotheses there exist relative periodic orbits near relative equilibria even when these relative equilibria are singular points of the corresponding moment map, i.e. when the reduced spaces are singular.Comment: 5 pages, to appear in C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, t. 328, S'erie I, 199

Deformation of geometry and bifurcations of vortex rings

We construct a smooth family of Hamiltonian systems, together with a family of group symmetries and momentum maps, for the dynamics of point vortices on surfaces, parametrized by the curvature of the surface. Equivariant bifurcations in this family are characterized, whence the stability of the Thomson heptagon is deduced without recourse to the Birkhoff normal form, which has hitherto been a necessary tool