THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE PROPAGATION, PERSISTENCE, AND FATE OF A VORTEX PAIR IN A STRATIFIED, SHEARES E ENVIRONMENT.

THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE PROPAGATION, PERSISTENCE, AND FATE OF A VORTEX PAIR IN A STRATIFIED, SHEARES E ENVIRONMENT. IN PARTICULAR, WE WILL STUDY THE EVOLUTON OF A SOLITARY VORTEX WHICH OCCURS WHEN A VORTEX PAIR IS IMBEDDED IN SHEAR FLOW OF PROPER MAGNITUDE. SOLITARY WAVES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED TO EVOLVE IN THE ATMOSPHERE BEHIND AIRCRAFT,BUT NO SYSTEMATIC, CONTROLLED LABORATORY OR THEORETICAL STUDIES HAVE BEEN PERFORMED TO DATE. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PHASE I STUDY ARE TO DETERMINE WHETHER SOLITARY VORTICES CAN BE REPRODUCED IN THE LABORATORY (AS PREDICTED BY OUR NUMERICAL CODE ) AND IF MEASUREMENTS CAN BE MADE OF SUFFICIENT QUALITY TO BE COMPARED TO THE NUMERICAL PREDICTIONS THE GOAL IS