Global regularity for 2D gravity water waves with two retreating point vortices

Abstract

We prove global well-posedness for the two-dimensional infinite-depth gravity water wave system coupled to a pair of point vortices of opposite strengths. The vortex dipole is initially placed deep below the free surface and oriented so that its leading motion is away from the interface. We show that the vortices retreat almost linearly, and that the velocity induced on the free boundary is therefore integrable in time. Combining this decay with Wu's cubic formulation, together with a transition-of-derivatives and localization argument, we obtain global bounds for small localized perturbations of the flat surface.