Possible Implications of a Vortex Gas Model and Self-Similarity for Tornadogenesis and Maintenance

We describe tornado formation and maintenance using the 3-dimensional vortex gas model of (Chorin 1994). High-energy vortices with negative temperature in the sense of (Onsager 1949) play an important role in the model. We speculate that the formation of high-temperature vortices is related to the helicity inherited as they form or tilt into the vertical. We also exploit the notion of self-similarity to justify power laws derived from observations of weak and strong tornadoes in (Cai 2005; Wurman and Gill 2000; Wurman and Alexander 2005). Analysis of a Bryan Cloud Model (CM1) simulation of a tornadic supercell reveals scaling consistent with the observational studies.