Vortex Reconnection

2D Navier-Stokes: counter-rotating vortex pair, vorticity field and energy dissipation

Parameters

Total enstrophy
Kinetic energy
Time0.000
2D Navier-Stokes (vorticity-stream formulation):

∂ω/∂t + (u·∇)ω = ν∇²ω
∇²ψ = −ω, u = ∂ψ/∂y, v = −∂ψ/∂x

ν = 1/Re. Two counter-rotating Gaussian vortices interact: they rotate around each other, then diffuse and reconnect as viscosity spreads vorticity.

Colormap: blue = negative ω, red = positive ω. Energy dissipation = ν·∫ω² dA.