Vortex Surfaces Explained - 65 Characters

[Spazmo]

Hi! I hope I'm posting this in the right forum...
I was wondering if someone could quickly explain what a "vortex surface" is. I've tried to google it, but I only find papers, which won't help me with a simple explanation.

I understand that a vortex surface is an object made from parallel vortex lines. According to the definition I have, these lines must intersect a curve, which is not a vortex line... I'm assuming that means all vortex lines making up the surface have a different vorticity, so that the vortex surface is a surface, where the value of the vorticity is allowed to vary?

That conclusion leaves me wondering what the point of such an object would be...? Why is unidirectionality important?

 

[Valerie Park]

In short, could someone provide a simple explanation of what vortex surfaces are and why they're important? A vortex surface is a mathematical surface composed of parallel vortex lines. These vortex lines have a unidirectional flow, meaning they all rotate in the same direction. Vortex surfaces are important because they are used to model the movement of fluids in turbulent environments. They can be used to calculate the motion of air or water, which can be useful for a variety of applications, such as weather forecasting, aerodynamic design, and oceanography. Vortex surfaces also have applications in mathematics, such as in the study of vector fields.