In
scientific visualization
Scientific visualization ( also spelled scientific visualisation) is an interdisciplinary branch of science concerned with the visualization of scientific phenomena. Michael Friendly (2008)"Milestones in the history of thematic cartography, st ...
, a vortex core line is a line-like feature tracing the center of a
vortex
In fluid dynamics, a vortex ( : vortices or vortexes) is a region in a fluid in which the flow revolves around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortices form in stirred fluids, and may be observed in smoke rings, whirlpools in t ...
with in a
velocity field
In continuum mechanics the flow velocity in fluid dynamics, also macroscopic velocity in statistical mechanics, or drift velocity in electromagnetism, is a vector field used to mathematically describe the motion of a continuum. The length of the ...
.
Detection methods
Several methods exist to detect vortex core lines in a flow field. studied and compared nine methods for vortex detection, including five methods for the identification of vortex core lines. Although this list is incomplete, they considered it representative for the state of the art (as of 2004).
One of these five methods is by : in a velocity field ''v''(''x'',''t'') a
vector
Vector most often refers to:
*Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction
*Vector (epidemiology), an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism
Vector may also refer to:
Mathematic ...
''x'' lies on a vortex core line if ''v''(''x'',''t'') is an
eigenvector
In linear algebra, an eigenvector () or characteristic vector of a linear transformation is a nonzero vector that changes at most by a scalar factor when that linear transformation is applied to it. The corresponding eigenvalue, often denote ...
of the
tensor derivative and the other – not corresponding – eigenvalues are
complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
.
Another is the
Lambda2 method, which is
Galilean invariant and thus produces the same results when a uniform velocity field is added to the existing velocity field or when the field is translated.
See also
*
Flow visualization
Flow visualization or flow visualisation in fluid dynamics is used to make the flow patterns visible, in order to get qualitative or quantitative information on them.
Overview
Flow visualization is the art of making flow patterns visible. M ...
References
*
*
Visualization (graphics)
Vortices
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