A Classification Theorem for Steady Euler Flows

Abstract

Fix a bounded, analytic, and simply connected domain $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^2.$ We show that all analytic steady states of the Euler equations with stream function $\psi$ are either radial or solve a semi-linear elliptic equation of the form $\Delta \psi = F(\psi)$ with Dirichlet boundary conditions. In particular, if $\Omega$ is not a ball, then there exists a one to one correspondence between analytic steady states of the Euler equations and analytic solutions of equations of the form $\Delta \psi = F(\psi)$ with Dirichlet boundary conditions.