Published July 31, 2003 | Version v1
Journal article

Clustering and diffusion of particles and passive tracer density in random hydrodynamic flows

  • 1. A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

Description

The diffusion of particles and conservative, passive tracer density fields in random hydrodynamic flows is considered. The crucial feature of this diffusion in a divergent hydrodynamic flow is the clustering of the conservative, passive tracer density field (in the Euler description) and occasionally of the particles themselves (in the Lagrange description) - a coherent phenomenon which occurs with probability unity and should arise in almost all dynamic scenarios of the process. In the present paper, statistical clustering parameters are described in statistical topography terms. Because of their inertial properties, particles and their concentration field can also cluster in random divergence-free velocity fields, the divergence of the particle velocity field itself being a crucial aspect of such a diffusion. The delta-correlated in time velocity field for fluctuating flow (as, e.g., in the Fokker-Planck diffusion equation for low-inertia particles) is in principle an invalid approximation for the statistical description of particle dynamics, and the diffusion approximation accounting for the finite time correlation radius should instead be used for this purpose. (reviews of topical problems)

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1070/PU2003v046n07ABEH001600

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physics Uspekhi
Journal Volume
46
Journal Issue
7
Journal Page Range
p. 667-688
ISSN
1063-7869

INIS

Country of Publication
United Kingdom
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
40077380
Subject category
S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
APPROXIMATIONS; DENSITY; DIFFUSION; DIFFUSION EQUATIONS; FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION; MOMENT OF INERTIA; PARTICLES; PROBABILITY; RANDOMNESS; TOPOGRAPHY; VELOCITY
Descriptors DEC
CALCULATION METHODS; DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; EQUATIONS; PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES