Tracer Particle trapping Times in Pressure-Gradient-Driven Turbulence in Toroidal Geometry and their Connection to the Dynamics of Large-Scale Cycles Articles uri icon

authors

  • CARRERAS VERDAGUER, BENJAMIN A.
  • GARCIA MATILLA, LUIS
  • LLERENA, I.

publication date

  • October 2010

start page

  • 105005

issue

  • 10

volume

  • 52

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0741-3335

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1361-6587

abstract

  • The continuous time random walk (CTRW) approach allows us to construct transport models based on waiting times and particle flight distributions. The connection between the distribution of particle
    flights and the distribution of radial extents of the connected
    components of the flow has already been shown by Garcia et al (2009 Phys. Rev. E 80
    046410). Here, the connection between the large-scale cycles of the
    flow structure and the trapping times is explored. It is shown that the
    distribution of trapping times of the tracers is given by the
    distribution of lifetimes of the large-scale cycles in the flow
    structure. This distribution has a power tail, which is the result of
    the dynamics of avalanche transport.