Mixing and chaotic fluid particle trajectories in the flow around two leap-frogging vortex rings

Abstract

The flow around two leap-frogging vortex rings is studied using the dynamical systems approach with a view to estimating the mixing taking place. The controlling parameter is the ratio of the initial radii of the rings to the axial distance between them. Small initial distances correspond to very little mixing, with interesting dynamical features in the region close to the rings. As the initial distance increases, the mixing region increases rapidly upto some point, and for larger distances the level of mixing remains approximately the same.

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