Interaction of Two Vortex Rings Moving Side by Side
摘要
Experimental studies were carried out on the interaction of two vortex rings moving parallel side by side in a water tank. In order to investigate the process of interaction clearly, two rings were colored by different dyes. Three typical patterns of interaction were observed according to initial conditions at ejecting vortex rings. (1) Under the most favorable condition, two rings contact at two points successively and there occur the cross-linkings of vortex filaments. Thus a distorted vortex ring is formed and then it splits into two vortex rings again. (2) Two rings contact and form a ring, but it does not split and moves with intermittent deformations. (3) Two rings join into a distorted ring, which splits into two small rings and a merged body of the two initial rings. Soon after they fuse into a mass of vorticity and diffuse away.