Initial laboratory observations of the evolution of a vortex pair in a stratified shear flow

Abstract
First results are presented for a laboratory experiment and a supporting numerical simulation of the evolution of a vortex pair in a stratified and sheared flow where the Richardson number is 1.0 and the vortex Reynolds number is 14 400. Both the laboratory experiment and the numerical model show that the vortex pair evolves into a single vortex. It is believed that these are the first reported experimental measurements on the evolution of a vortex pair in a stratified shear flow.