Spatiotemporal scales of motion and particle clustering in free-surface turbulence
This study examines how underwater turbulence shapes the movement and clustering of floating particles with relevance to environmental processes like micro-plastic dispersion or oil spills. Experiments in water tunnels were conducted, generating controlled turbulence beneath a flat surface. We find that floating particles form clusters matching the size and duration of large underwater swirls, persisting as long as these turbulent structures exist. While the water surface appears calm, hidden three-dimensional turbulence below creates surface flows with two-dimensional-like features, trapping particles in long-lived vortices.
Authors
- Kelken Chang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3982-714X)
- Roumaïssa Hassaini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4501-5305)
- Filippo Coletti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5344-2476)
- Claudio Mucignat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2676-2815)
- Henri R. Sanness Salmon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4621-797X)
- Yaxing Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1318-7073)
Institutions
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (CH)
- Zhejiang University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical Review Fluids
- Published
- 2025-03-07
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevfluids.10.034602
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Particle Dynamics in Fluid Flows
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.44
Funders
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung