Paper 1, Section II, B

Fluid Dynamics II
Part II, 2016

State the vorticity equation and interpret the meaning of each term.

A planar vortex sheet is diffusing in the presence of a perpendicular straining flow. The flow is everywhere of the form u=(U(y,t),Ey,Ez)\mathbf{u}=(U(y, t),-E y, E z), where U±U0U \rightarrow \pm U_{0} as y±y \rightarrow \pm \infty, and U0U_{0} and E>0E>0 are constants. Show that the vorticity has the form ω=ω(y,t)ez\boldsymbol{\omega}=\omega(y, t) \mathbf{e}_{z}, and obtain a scalar equation describing the evolution of ω\omega.

Explain physically why the solution approaches a steady state in which the vorticity is concentrated near y=0y=0. Use scaling to estimate the thickness δ\delta of the steady vorticity layer as a function of EE and the kinematic viscosity ν\nu.

Determine the steady vorticity profile, ω(y)\omega(y), and the steady velocity profile, U(y)U(y).

[\left[\right. Hint: erf(x)=2π0xeu2 du.]\left.\quad \operatorname{erf}(x)=\frac{2}{\sqrt{\pi}} \int_{0}^{x} e^{-u^{2}} \mathrm{~d} u .\right]

State, with a brief physical justification, why you might expect this steady flow to be unstable to long-wavelength perturbations, defining what you mean by long.