 Two-dimensional vortex dynamics

For inviscid planar incompressible flow, write velocity as $(-{\psi }_y,{\psi }_x)$ and vorticity as $\zeta ={\nabla }^2\psi$. Taking curl of the Euler equations for an inviscid fluid removes pressure and gives the displayed transport equation, with $J(\psi ,\zeta )={\psi }_x{\zeta }_y-{\psi }_y{\zeta }_x$. The Poisson equation then recovers the streamfunction at each instant. A velocity tangent to the plane cannot stretch its perpendicular vorticity vector.