A vorticity filament is investigated experimentally using the transmission of an ultrasonic wave through the flow. The analysis of the wave-front distortion provides noninvasive measurements of the vortex circulation and size. The latter is estimated by analytical calculations of the scattering of a plane wave by a vorticity filament. The case of a cylindrical wave incident on a vortex leads to similar experimental results which are successfully compared to a parabolic equation simulation. Finally, a finite-difference code based on linear acoustics is presented, in order to investigate the structure of the scattered wave numerically.

• Received 5 September 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.63.036607