On the structure of a three-dimensional compressible vortex

We present here self-similar solutions of the equations of motion of a visc ous, heat conducting gas, for a family of slender vortices. Slenderness mak es possible use of the boundary-layer-like "quasi-cylindrical approximation ". For our solutions, velocity components at the vortex edge behave like a power of the axial coordinate, and the vortex core width varies like a powe r of the same variable - 1/2 in many of the results presented here. Effects due to the temperature dependence of the viscosity, and varying the Prandt l number and specific-heat ratio are included. It appears that the location of the vortex 'edge' is actually an independently specifiable parameter of the solution. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. Ail rights reserved.