EMERGENCE OF COHERENT PATTERNS OF VORTEX STRETCHING DURING RECONNECTION - A SCATTERING PARADIGM

We have observed coherent patterns of the magnitude of the normalized vortex stretching vector \omega.del u\/\omega\ during the "bursting" reconnection phase of the evolution of identical initially orthogonally offset vortex tubes. We propose that the intensification and reconnection of initially tubelike vortex regions be viewed as a scattering process and that the topology of vortex lines during this phase of the process contributes to limiting vortex stretching (intensification). Furthermore, we advocate the use of these patterns (some rendered in color) as signatures of turbulent intermittency in exploring massive data sets.