An experimental study investigating the inertial-wave field accompanying vortex rings translating through a rotating fluid

Results of an experimental study investigating issues of Coriolis effects on the fluid dynamics associated with vortex rings propagating through a rotating fluid are presented. The vortex rings are generated at the top of a large, water-filled rotating tank and they propagate downwards along the axis of rotation. The motion and the decay of the rings in a rotating fluid are expected to be accompanied by an inertial-wave field being established in the fluid surrounding the rings. However, the existence of this inertial-wave field had previously never been verified experimentally. Particle image velocimetry measurements were performed with the goal of demonstrating the existence of the inertial-wave field. Datasets were processed to extract individual inertial-wave modes and, for the first time, experimentally construct the dispersion relation for the inertial waves associated with vortex rings. For rotation rates when Coriolis forces dominate the dynamics, the experimental data are found to be in very good agreement with the well-established theoretical dispersion relation for inertial waves. The generation of inertial waves implies that kinetic energy is radiated away from the vortex rings. First results relating to the redistribution process of the kinetic energy are briefly discussed.