Interactions of isolated vortices. II modon generation by monopole collision

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Abstract
A numerical calculation is described which demonstrates the collision of two quasigeostrophic isolated vortices, of the monopole type. The collision creates an oscillatory dipole structure. The dipole is shown to consist of a nonlinear isolated vortex, of the modon type, and a superimposed fluctuation field. The modon is different from previously known modons, with a nonlinear functional relationship between potential vorticity and streamfunction. The only effect of the fluctuations upon the underlying modon is the induction of changes in the separation distance between the dipole centers, and hence the dipole speed; otherwise, they appear to have the qualitative characteristics of normal modes of the underlying modon. Speculations are presented about the analogy between collisions of isolated vortices and of subatomic particles.

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