Slender-body analysis of the motion and stability of a vortex filament containing an axial flow

Abstract

Previous results concerning the effects of axial velocity on the motion of vortex filaments are reviewed. These results suggest that a slender-body force balance between the Kutta–Joukowski lift on the vortex cross-section and the momentum flux within the curved filament will give some insight into the behaviour of the filament. These simple ideas are exploited for both a single vortex filament and a vortex pair, both containing axial flow. The stability of a straight vortex filament containing an axial flow to long wave sinusoidal displacements of its centre-line is investigated and the stability boundary obtained. The effect of axial flow on the stability of a vortex pair is explored. It is shown that to lowest order (in the ratio of vortex core radius to distance between the vortices) the effect of axial flow is to reduce the self-induced rotation of a single filament and that this effect can be considered as a change in effective core radius. To the next order, travelling waves appear in the instability, the instability mode for the vortex pair becomes non-planar but the amplification rate of the instability is not affected.