Anomalous translational velocity of vortex ring with finite-amplitude Kelvin waves

Abstract

We consider finite-amplitude Kelvin waves on an inviscid vortex assuming that the vortex core has infinitesimal thickness. By numerically solving the governing Biot-Savart equation of motion, we study how the frequency of the Kelvin waves and the velocity of the perturbed ring depend on the Kelvin wave amplitude. In particular, we show that, if the amplitude of the Kelvin waves is sufficiently large, the perturbed vortex ring moves backwards.