Motion of a Vortex Filament in the Local Induction Approximation: Reformulation of the Da Rios-Betchov Equations in the Extrinsic Filament Coordinate Space

Abstract

In recognition of the highly non-trivial task of computation of the inverse Hasimoto transformation mapping the intrinsic geometric parameter space onto the extrinsic vortex filament coordinate space a reformulation of the Da Rios-Betchov equations in the latter space is given. The nonlinear localized vortex filament structure solution given by the present formulation is in detailed agreement with the Betchov-Hasimoto solution in the small-amplitude limit and is also in qualitative agreement with laboratory experiment observations of helical-twist solitary waves propagating on concentrated vortices in rotating fluids. The present formulation also provides for a discernible effect of the slipping motion of a vortex filament on the vortex evolution.