Slender Vortex Filament with Slowly Varying Core Structure

Abstract

We give a brief review of the asymptotic theory of slender vortex filaments with emphases on the choices of scalings characterizing the physical problems and the corresponding assumptions and/or restrictions introduced in the formation of the asymptotic theory of Callegari and Ting (1978) and its extension by Klein and Ting (1992). In particular, the slender filaments considered are assumed to be forming loops or tori. Because of this restriction, the theory is not applicable to the trailing vortex system of a rotorcraft. We describe the multiple length scales characterizing the vortex system, formulate the expansion scheme, derive the governing equations and then identify the assumptions or restrictions inherent in the multi-scale analysis and needed for the validity of the asymptotic theory of the trailing vortex system.