Asymptotic solution for high vorticity regions in incompressible 3D Euler equations

Abstract

Incompressible 3D Euler equations develop high vorticity in very thin pancake-like regions from generic large-scale initial conditions. In this work we propose an exact solution of the Euler equations for the asymptotic pancake evolution. This solution combines a shear flow aligned with an asymmetric straining flow, and is characterized by a single asymmetry parameter and an arbitrary transversal vorticity profile. The analysis is based on detailed comparison with numerical simulations performed using a pseudo-spectral method in anisotropic grids of up to 972 x 2048 x 4096.