Vortex Reconnection and Turbulence Cascade

As a fundamental topology-transforming event, reconnection plays a significant role in the dynamics of plasmas, polymers, DNA, and fluids-both (classical) viscous and quantum. Since the 1994 review by Kida & Takaoka, substantial advances have been made on this topic. We review recent studies of vortex reconnection in (classical) viscous flows, including the physical mechanism, its relationship to turbulence cascade, the formation of a finite-time singularity, helicity dynamics, and aeroacoustic noise generation.