Irrotational: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 16:15, 25 April 2012

irrotational

Applied to a vector field having zero vorticity or curl throughout the field.

Two equivalent properties of an irrotational field are that there is no circulation about any reducible curve within the fluid, and that a potential exists. An autobarotropic fluid is irrotational for all time if it is irrotational at any time. Meteorological motions of the smaller scales, for example, gravity waves, may be treated as irrotational, but when the scale is large enough to take the rotation of the earth into account, only rotational motions are of interest.
See solenoidal, Helmholtz's theorem.

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-<div class="definition"><div class="short_definition">Applied to a [[vector field]] having zero [[vorticity]] or [[curl]] throughout the field.</div><br/> <div class="paragraph">Two equivalent properties of an irrotational field are that there is no [[circulation]] about any  reducible curve within the fluid, and that a [[potential]] exists. An [[autobarotropic]] fluid is irrotational  for all time if it is irrotational at any time. Meteorological motions of the smaller scales, for example,  [[gravity waves]], may be treated as irrotational, but when the [[scale]] is large enough to take the  rotation of the earth into account, only [[rotational]] motions are of interest. <br/>''See'' [[solenoidal]], [[Helmholtz's  theorem]].</div><br/> </div>
+<div class="definition"><div class="short_definition">Applied to a [[vector field]] having zero [[vorticity]] or [[curl]] throughout the field.</div><br/> <div class="paragraph">Two equivalent properties of an irrotational field are that there is no [[circulation]] about any  reducible curve within the fluid, and that a [[potential]] exists. An [[autobarotropic]] fluid is irrotational  for all time if it is irrotational at any time. Meteorological motions of the smaller scales, for example,  [[gravity waves]], may be treated as irrotational, but when the [[scale]] is large enough to take the  rotation of the earth into account, only [[rotational]] motions are of interest. <br/>''See'' [[solenoidal]], [[Helmholtz's theorem|Helmholtz's  theorem]].</div><br/> </div>
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