Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Fluid dynamics

Lord Kelvin's vortex rings

Nature Physics volume 9, pages 207–208 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Linking two smoke rings or tying a single ring into a knot is no easy feat. Such topological vortices are now created in water with the aid of specially printed hydrofoils.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Kleckner, D. & Irvine, W. T. M. Nature Phys. 9, 253–258 (2013).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Helm, J. L., Barenghi, C. F. & Youd, A. J. Phys. Rev. A 83, 045601 (2011).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Boyland, P. L., Aref, H. & Stremler, M. A. J. Fluid Mech. 403, 277–304 (2000).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. Moffatt, H. K. & Ricca, R. L. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 439, 411–429 (1992).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Finn, J. M. & Antonsen, T. M. Jr Comment. Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 9, 111 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Drake, J. F., Swisdak, M., Che, H. & Shay, M. A. Nature 443, 553–556 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Daniel P. Lathrop and Barbara Brawn-Cinani are at the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, Energy Research Facility, Bldg. #223, Paint Branch Drive, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-3511, USA,

    Daniel P. Lathrop & Barbara Brawn-Cinani

Authors
  1. Daniel P. Lathrop
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Barbara Brawn-Cinani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel P. Lathrop.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lathrop, D., Brawn-Cinani, B. Lord Kelvin's vortex rings. Nature Phys 9, 207–208 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2577

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2577

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing