Vortex bursting on a vortex tube with initial core-size perturbations

When a straight vortex tube is endowed with core-size perturbations, the differential rotation along the tube leads to the tilting of vortex lines and the generation of twist waves. The waves propagate and collide, resulting in a drastic expansion of the vortex core and the formation of an annular structure with high azimuthal vorticity, a phenomenon known as vortex bursting. Such phenomenon is relevant for understanding the behavior of aircraft trailing wakes, as well as the dynamics of vortical structures in turbulent flows. In this talk we examine vortex bursting using numerical simulations on straight vortex tubes with initial perturbations and focus on the effects of different perturbation amplitudes. We investigate quantitatively each stage of evolution, including early-time twist wave propagation, bursting (time scale and intensity) and the late-time flow evolution along the tube.