Abstract: A system and method for controlling combustion in a direct injection spark ignition internal combustion engine inject fuel directly into a combustion chamber in a wide-angle, hollow-cone spray to form a vortex that draws fuel vapor out of the spray to form a combustible fuel-air mixture at a spark location outside the hollow-cone spray. Various piston combustion bowl configurations further enhance the stability of the vortex and reduce fuel impingement on the piston surface while providing a desired compression ratio. Cylinder airflow is controlled to produce substantial swirl flow resulting in a more compact fuel cloud around the spark location to reduce over-mixing and improve robustness to cycle-to-cycle variation in the mixing process.