近日，法国巴黎文理研究大学Christophe Gissinger报道了开尔文波沿涡核传播。该项研究成果发表在2026年2月10日出版的《自然—物理学》杂志上。
开尔文波是沿涡线传播的最基本激发模式，在能量再分配与旋转流稳定性中扮演核心角色。学界认为，从超流氦中涡丝缠结的衰变到大气涡旋的耗散机制，开尔文波支撑着经典湍流与量子湍流的关键过程。然而尽管意义重大，能够解析其色散关系的开尔文波动力学定量观测仍是难题。
研究组通过实验手段，表征了开尔文波沿稳定、可控的宏观涡核的传播特征，并成功获取其色散关系。该时空测量覆盖近两个数量级的尺度，同时观测到螺旋弯曲模与双螺旋波，验证了湍性旋转流的理论预言。研究组还统计了开尔文波的时间涨落规律，揭示其动力学如何受垂向流、激发位置等局部涡旋属性塑造。这些结果为理解开尔文波湍流中驱动能量级联的机制提供了定量视角，从而为无法直接测量的量子系统构筑了经典类比桥梁。除基础理论价值外，研究组还阐释了大尺度涡旋的动力学行为——从龙卷风的间歇性爆发到飞机尾涡的稳定性问题，均获新解。
附：英文原文
Title: Kelvin wave propagation along vortex cores
Author: Barckicke, Jason, Falcon, Eric, Gissinger, Christophe
Issue&Volume: 2026-02-10
Abstract: Kelvin waves are the most fundamental excitations that propagate along vortex lines, and they play a central role in the redistribution of energy and the stability of rotating flows. They are believed to underpin key processes in both classical and quantum turbulence, from the decay of vortex tangles in superfluid helium to dissipation mechanisms in atmospheric vortices. Despite their importance, quantitative observations of Kelvin wave dynamics that resolve their dispersion relation remain a challenging problem. Here we experimentally characterize the propagation of Kelvin waves along a stable, controlled and macroscopic vortex core and access their dispersion relation. Our spatiotemporal measurements, spanning nearly two decades in scale, reveal both helical bending modes and double-helix waves, which validates theoretical predictions for turbulent rotating flows. We also observe the statistics of temporal fluctuations of Kelvin waves and show how their dynamics are shaped by local vortex properties, such as vertical flow and excitation location. Our results provide quantitative insight into the mechanisms driving energy cascades in Kelvin wave turbulence, thus offering a classical analogue to quantum systems in which direct measurements remain inaccessible. Beyond this fundamental relevance, they also shed light on the dynamics of large-scale vortices, from intermittent tornado behaviour to the stability of aircraft wake vortices.
DOI: 10.1038/s41567-026-03175-w
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-026-03175-w