Pound's interest in scientific thought is discussed in Ian F.A. Bell :
Critic as Scientist, the modernist poetics of Ezra Pound, Methuen,
1981.  I  think this book may help you.
As for the relationship of Helmhortz's theory and vortex, pp.158-170.
It seems that it is not clarified, in this book,  whether Pound read
Helmholtz himself or not. I have'n read through this book yet.
It is known that Pound had many thesophist friends. Supposing from
the contents list of Blavatsky's _The secrete doctrine_,  theosophists
showed much interest in scientific thought. Thought of Helmholtz, also
of Agassiz are referred in this book.
 
  Hideo Nogami
  studying Ezra Pound nonprofessionally in Japan
  [log in to unmask]
 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ezra Pound discussion list of the University of Maine
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of antje pfannkuchen
> Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 1999 1:47 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Pound's interest in science, especially math. and physics
>
>
> Dear listmembers,
>
> here's another female studying Pound.
> As I noticed by now there seem to be several people on this list who used
> to know Pound personally. What I am extremely interested in is Pound's
> sources for his scientific knowledge. I was up to now unable to find any
> written reference of his about what books he was reading, or with whom he
> was talking. I'm especially concerned with the early years up to about
> 1920. He used examples and metaphors out of mathematics and physics in so
> many of his texts, but never gives a hint where he got it from. It must
> have been "in the air" at that time, but I'd still love to know a little
> more about his way of studying and his sources. Probably there's no one on
> this list who knew him then, but did he later read real "hardcore science"
> literature? Or at least popular versions of the
> up-to-date-theories besides
> Allen Upward who seems to have known less than Pound? What about his
> pseudonym Helmholtz that he used in 1914? Do you suspect he ever read
> Hermann von H.?
>
> Antje Pfannkuchen
>
>
>
> PS: Since Jacob Korg mentioned Mary de Rachewiltz as a prominent
> participant of Pound-scholarship. Is there a possibility to get in contact
> with her? Does anyone know her (e-) mail address?
>