Numerical evidence of breaking of vortex lines in an ideal fluid

Abstract

Emergence of singularity of vorticity at a single point, not related to any symmetry of the initial distribution, has been demonstrated numerically for the first time. Behaviour of the maximum of vorticity near the point of collapse closely follows the dependence (t 0−t)−1, where t 0 is the time of collapse. This agrees with the interpretation of collapse in an ideal incompressible fluid as of the process of vortex lines breaking.