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Updated: May 29, 2026

Preparation of Free-Surface Hyperbolic Water Vortices
Published on: July 28, 2023
Turbulent viscosity variability in self-preserving far wake with zero net momentum
Katya Dubrovin1, Ephim Golbraikh, Michael Gedalin
1Physics Department, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Abstract:
The profile of the self-preserving far wake with zero net momentum depends on the effective turbulent viscosity coefficient. The current model is based on the assumption of uniform viscosity in the wake cross section. It predicts the self-similar shape of the wake where the width W depends on the distance z from the body as W∝z(1/5) for the axisymmetric case (or z(1/4) for the plane case). The observed wake width, however, demonstrates the dependence W∝z(α) (where α≤1/5). We generalize the model of a self-preserving far wake for the case of the turbulent viscosity coefficient depending on the radius. Additional integrals of motion allow a new family of self-similar profiles with α≤1/5.
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