arXiv subjects

Rafael Dias Vilela

Publications and source records attributed to Rafael Dias Vilela.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2017

A map for heavy inertial particles in fluid flows

We introduce a map which reproduces qualitatively many fundamental properties of the dynamics of heavy particles in fluid flows. These include a uniform rate of decrease of volume in phase space, a slow-manifold effective dynamics when the single parameter $s$ (analogous of the Stokes number) approaches zero, the possibility of fold caustics in the "velocity field", and a minimum, as a function of $s$, of the Lyapunov (Kaplan-Yorke) dimension of the attractor where particles accumulate.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2007

Signatures of fractal clustering of aerosols advected under gravity

Aerosols under chaotic advection often approach a strange attractor. They move chaotically on this fractal set but, in the presence of gravity, they have a net vertical motion downwards. In practical situations, observational data may be available only at a given level, for example at the ground level. We uncover two fractal signatures of chaotic advection of aerosols under the action of gravity. Each one enables the computation of the fractal dimension $D_{0}$ of the strange attractor governing the advection dynamics from data obtained solely at a given level. We illustrate our theoretical findings with a numerical experiment and discuss their possible relevance to meteorology.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2005

Finite-size effects on open chaotic advection

We study the effects of finite-sizeness on small, neutrally buoyant, spherical particles advected by open chaotic flows. We show that, when projected onto configuration space, the advected finite-size particles disperse about the unstable manifold of the chaotic saddle that governs the passive advection. Using a discrete-time system for the dynamics, we obtain an expression predicting the dispersion of the finite-size particles in terms of their Stokes parameter at the onset of the finite-sizeness induced dispersion. We test our theory in a system derived from a flow and find remarkable agreement between our expression and the numerically measured dispersion.

nlin.CD↗