Multiscale laminar flows with turbulentlike properties

Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Oct 6;97(14):144501. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.144501. Epub 2006 Oct 2.

Abstract

By applying fractal electromagnetic force fields on a thin layer of brine, we generate steady quasi-two-dimensional laminar flows with multiscale stagnation point topology. This topology is shown to control the evolution of pair separation (Delta) statistics by imposing a turbulentlike locality based on the sizes and strain rates of hyperbolic stagnation points when the flows are fast enough, in which case Delta(2) approximately t(gamma) is a good approximation with gamma close to 3. Spatially multiscale laminar flows with turbulentlike spectral and stirring properties are a new concept with potential applications in efficient and microfluidic mixing.