On the energy-constrained optimal mixing problem for one-dimensional initial configurations

Abstract We consider the problem of mixing a passive scalar in a periodic box by incompressible vector fields subject to a fixed energy constraint. In that setting a lower bound for the time in which perfect mixing can be achieved has been given by Lin et al (2011 J. Fluid Mech. 675 465–76). While examples by Depauw (2003 C. R. Math. Acad. Sci. Paris 337 249–52) and Lunasin et al (2012 J. Math. Phys. 53 15) show that perfect mixing in finite time is indeed possible, the question regarding the sharpness of the lower bound from Lin et al (2011 J. Fluid Mech. 675 465–76) remained open. In the present article we give a negative answer for the special class of initial configurations depending only on one spatial coordinate. The new lower bound holds true for distributional solutions satisfying only the uniform energy constraint for the velocity field and a weak compatibility condition for the passive scalar coming from the transport equation. In that weak setting we also provide an example for which the new bound is sharp. As a new ingredient in the investigation of optimal mixing we utilize the convex hull inequalities of the transport equation with constraints when seen as a differential inclusion.