Summary
Vortex ring interactions with solid and deformable surfaces abound in nature and engineering flows. This situation is particularly relevant to the problem of replacement speech following a laryngectomy, where unsteady flow exiting a tracheoesophageal prosthesis produces pulsatile vortex rings that impinge on the curved wall of the esophagus. The resultant esophageal pressure field is responsible for successfully producing tracheoesophageal (i.e., replacement) speech. As such, understanding the mechanics that arise as vortex rings impact curved surfaces, in particular the pressure loading that
