Motion of Distorted Vortex Rings

Abstract

Investigation has been made of the motion of vortex rings deformed from circular shape. A theoretical calculation of their shapes on the basis of the localized induction equation for a very thin vortex filament is made and is compared with observation of distorted smoke rings produced in the laboratory, using smoke of tobacco. Observations are also reported of fusion of two smoke rings into and splitting of very much distorted smoke rings.