CAELESTIA Ring-shaped vortices

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Ring-shaped

vortices

Description
They undoubtedly rank amongst the most eccentric sky phenomena on the planet: the
metres-wide rings of vapour or smoke that can be seen floating through the air on
occasion.
The physics behind these "vortex rings" is very complex. Moreover, vortex rings do not
always form in the same way. In most instances, the rings are formed by air mixed with
smoke or steam that is forced out of a (relatively) small circular or cylindrical opening
(this can be a chimney, the barrel of a canon, or a vent in a volcano crater). Because of
the drag of the surface of the opening, the air expelled from the centre will move faster
than the air exiting the opening near the edge. The air from the sides is sucked in, and a
circular motion is created. In this way, a doughnut-shaped vortex is formed, just like a
smoke ring that is blown from a smoker's lips. The ring-shape is maintained due to the
rotational motion of the air flowing in the vortex ring.
Another mechanism by which vortex rings form, is when a spherical mass of fast moving
air is pushed into a mass of stationary air. Upon impact, the outer layers of the
ball-shaped air mass will peel off and curve round back into the main mass. This inward
curving flow then splits the already flattened air mass into a doughnut shape.
The number one cause of the latter type of vortices is explosions. These can be either
accidental (for instance by a short circuit or a lightning impact) or induced (for instance
during bombings, mining activities and the clearance of mines). A fine example of a
deliberately induced explosion that sometimes produces dark-coloured smoke rings, is
the miniature atomic bomb simulation, conducted from time to time at military bases to
amuse or impress visitors. During such bomb demonstrations large drums are filled with
- for example - a mixture of gasoline, diesel fuel and explosives. The drums are then
arranged in a circle and detonated. The result is a mushroom-shaped cloud that, upon
impact with the ambient air masses, can create a stable black smoke ring in the way
described above.
Various types of aerial vortex rings can be distinguished. The most common type is the
horizontally oriented, dark-coloured smoke ring already mentioned. But there are
several other types of ring- or doughnut-shaped clouds that can easily be mistaken for
an unworldly flying object.
At air shows, large white rings have been observed floating through the air in a vertical
position. Such rings form in the wake of airplanes and are not to be confounded with the
black smoke rings rising up from controlled ground explosions that are often set off
during such shows. The mechanism that produces the white rings is not fully
understood. Possibly there is a link with the condensation rings that sometimes form
around aircraft flying at low altitudes under humid conditions and at speeds just below
or above the speed of sound (an effect known as the Prandtl-Glauert effect).
A particularly well-documented type of rings are the steam rings ejected from circular
vents on the sides of volcanoes. Dependent on the orientation of the vents, these rings
can take a horizontal or a vertical position. Volcano rings can be very large (photos exist
of specimens that measure up to 200 m or 650 feet across). They can last up to 15
minutes, drifting upward to heights of more than 1 km (3,048 ft) above the volcano.
Normally, smoke and vapour rings travel at a constant speed, maintaining the same
horizontal or vertical position until they break up. However, some of the reports we
collected describe rings in slanted positions, diving towards the ground or climbing into
the air. The explanation for these sometimes unexpected manoeuvres is that vortex
rings are part of the air and therefore follow the air currents.
A typical property of all vortex rings is that the smoke or vapour inside the ring curls
around the edge, sometimes forming new, smaller rings around the initial ring. From a
certain angle, this can create the impression of rods pointing toward the centre of the
ring (some observers compared smoke rings to "twisted bicycle wheels"). In other cases,
smoke or vapour assembles in places where the ring is buckled, creating node-like
areas.
One of the strangest by-products of smoke rings, is the formation of small cumulus-type
clouds in the circular space inside the ring. These ball-shaped clouds are often of a white
or light grey colour and give the phenomenon the appearance of a Saturn-shaped
object, a type of UFO that is often described in the literature. CAELESTIA is currently
studying the possible relationship between Saturn-shaped UFOs and smoke rings.
Vortex Phenomena : Funnel-shaped vortices - Ring-shaped vortices

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16/04/14 07:49