Free surface of a Rankine vortex

ID: free-surface-of-a-rankine-vortex

For a steady Rankine vortex in a fluid of constant density with gravity , the Euler equations give and . Integrating on the two sides and matching pressure at gives
Setting a constant surface pressure yields
Thus the free surface and its radial slope match at the core edge. The central depression is , twice the depression at . Bernoulli's theorem applies throughout the exterior; the rotational core instead uses the radial momentum balance above.

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