On the integrability and perturbation of three-dimensional fluid flows with symmetry (Q1321623)

The purpose is to develop analytical methods for studying particle paths in a class of three-dimensional incompressible fluid flows. We study three-dimensional volume preserving vector fields that are invariant under the action of a one-parameter symmetry group whose infinitesimal generator is autonomous and volume-preserving. We show that there exists a coordinate system in which the vector field assumes a simple form. In fact, we show how our coordinate transformation puts us in a position to apply recent extensions of the Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser (KAM) theory for three-dimensional, volume-preserving maps as well as three-dimensional versions of Melnikov's method. We discuss the integrability of the class of flows considered, and draw an analogy with Clebsch variables in fluid mechanics.