Vortical means pertaining to a vortex or to vortices. In fluid dynamics, the movement of a fluid can be said to be vortical if the fluid moves around in a circle, or in a helix, or if it tends to spin around some axis. Such motion can also be called solenoidal.

Vortical movement is characterized by non-zero curl:

where v is the velocity vector field of the fluid.

The curl of the velocity (at a specified point of the vector field) yields a vector which points in the direction around which the fluid is rotating.

See also

• Main: vortex, vorticity, coordinate rotation
• Vector: solenoidal vector field, vector potential
• Other: electromagnetic field

Further reading

• Ting, L., "Viscous vortical flows" (Lecture notes in physics). Springer-Verlag 1991. ISBN 3540537139

External links

• Vortical Flow Research Lab (MIT) -- Study of flows found in nature and part of the Department of Ocean Engineering.
• Kida, Shigeo, "Life, Structure, and Dynamical Role of Vortical Motion in Turbulence". National Institute for Fusion Science, Theory and Computer Simulation Center. (PDF)
• Marcos, C. de la Fuente, and P. Barge, "The effect of long-lived vortical circulation on the dynamics of dust particles in the mid-plane of a protoplanetary disc".
• "Vortical" images via Google.