This monograph introduces readers to the hydrodynamics of vortex formation, and reviews the last decade of active research in the field, offering a unique focus on research topics at the crossroads of traditional fluids and plasmas. Vortices are responsible for the process of macroscopic transport of momentum, energy and mass, and are formed as the result of spontaneous self-organization. Playing an important role in nature and technology, localized, coherent vortices are regularly observed in shear flows, submerged jets, afterbody flows and in atmospheric boundary layers, sometimes taking on the form of vortex streets. In addition, the book addresses a number of open issues, including but not limited to: which singularities are permitted in a 2D Euler equation besides point vortices? Which other, even more complex, localized vortices could be contained in the Euler equation? How do point vortices interact with potential waves?

This book is based on the lectures delivered at the 19th Canberra International Physics Summer School held at the Australian National University in Canberra (Australia) in January 2006.The problem of turbulence and coherent structures is of key importance in many fields of science and engineering. It is an area which is vigorously researched across a diverse range of disciplines such as theoretical physics, oceanography, atmospheric science, magnetically confined plasma, nonlinear optics, etc. Modern studies in turbulence and coherent structures are based on a variety of theoretical concepts, numerical simulation techniques and experimental methods, which cannot be reviewed effectively by a single expert.The main goal of these lecture notes is to introduce state-of-the-art turbulence research in a variety of approaches (theoretical, numerical simulations and experiments) and applications (fluids, plasmas, geophysics, nonlinear optical media) by several experts. A smooth introduction is presented to readers who are not familiar with the field, while reviewing the most recent advances in the area. This collection of lectures will provide a useful review for both postgraduate students and researchers new to the advancements in this field, as well as specialists seeking to expand their knowledge across different areas of turbulence research.

The contents of the book cover topics on vortex dynamics in a variety of flow problems and describe observational measurements and their interpretation. The book contains 13 chapters that first include vortices in the earth and planetary sciences related to vortices in the Venus plasma wake and also on tropical cyclones and on rotating shallow water in the earth's atmosphere. Vortices in fluid problems include airplane wake vortices, vorticity evolution in free-shear flows, together with axisymmetric flows with swirl, as well as thermal conductivities in fluid layers. Vortices in relativistic fluids, in magnetic disks, solitons and vortices, and relaxation for point vortices were also examined. Other chapters describe conditions in a vortex bioreactor and in vortex yarn structures.

This book discusses vortex dynamics theory from physics, mathematics, and engineering perspectives. It includes nine chapters that cover a variety of research results related to vortex dynamics including nonlinear optics, fluid dynamics, and plasma physics.

This book develops the subject of nonlinear plasma physics from a general physics perspective. It begins with a description of nonlinear oscillations, the parametric instability, the pendulum, and the nonlinear island overlap criterion. The Kolomogorov-Arnold-Moser (KAM) theory is analyzed. Laboratory visualizations of the KAM theory are presented for experiments in toroidal plasma confinement and rotating fluids. The subjects of transport in E x B flows and geostrophic flows are developed in parallel, stressing the generality of the Charney-Hasegawa-Mima equation. The dual nature of wave turbulence and vortex dynamics is developed for plasmas and geophysical flows. The presentation of the subject of nonlinear maps shows how maps are related to the nonlinear dynamics in plasma physics problems. Numerous space plasma and fusion physics examples are developed throughout the book. The final chapter deals with turbulence theory, renormalized mode coupling equations, and Kolomogorov-type spectra as modified for anisotropic plasmas.

Since the early developments of 'nonlinear science', plasma physics played a major role in its evolution: solitons, hamiltonian chaos, distinction between absolute and convective instabilities, and dynamics of coherent structures in turbulence. Understanding transport in plasmas is important for fusion devices but also for fundamental astrophysics, for fluid mechanics, for theoretical chemistry and engineering, and plasma processing in engineering.This second workshop gathered experts in plasma physics, nonlinear phenomena and mathematics. It aimed at enabling theoreticians, numericians and experimentalists in plasma turbulence to relate electromagnetic fluctuations, modes of self-organisation and transport processes. It may lead to developing new diagnostics and new methods for signal processing.

The contents of the book cover topics on vortex dynamics in a variety of flow problems and describe observational measurements and their interpretation. The book contains 13 chapters that first include vortices in the earth and planetary sciences related to vortices in the Venus plasma wake and also on tropical cyclones and on rotating shallow water in the earth's atmosphere. Vortices in fluid problems include airplane wake vortices, vorticity evolution in free-shear flows, together with axisymmetric flows with swirl, as well as thermal conductivities in fluid layers. Vortices in relativistic fluids, in magnetic disks, solitons and vortices, and relaxation for point vortices were also examined. Other chapters describe conditions in a vortex bioreactor and in vortex yarn structures.

This book is based on the lectures delivered at the 19th Canberra International Physics Summer School held at the Australian National University in Canberra (Australia) in January 2006.The problem of turbulence and coherent structures is of key importance in many fields of science and engineering. It is an area which is vigorously researched across a diverse range of disciplines such as theoretical physics, oceanography, atmospheric science, magnetically confined plasma, nonlinear optics, etc. Modern studies in turbulence and coherent structures are based on a variety of theoretical concepts, numerical simulation techniques and experimental methods, which cannot be reviewed effectively by a single expert.The main goal of these lecture notes is to introduce state-of-the-art turbulence research in a variety of approaches (theoretical, numerical simulations and experiments) and applications (fluids, plasmas, geophysics, nonlinear optical media) by several experts. A smooth introduction is presented to readers who are not familiar with the field, while reviewing the most recent advances in the area. This collection of lectures will provide a useful review for both postgraduate students and researchers new to the advancements in this field, as well as specialists seeking to expand their knowledge across different areas of turbulence research.