Clustering of the low-inertia particle number density field in random divergence-free hydrodynamic flows

Abstract

We consider the diffusion of the low-inertia particle number density field in random divergence-free hydrodynamic flows. The principal feature of this diffusion is the divergence of the particle velocity field, which results in clustering of the particle number density field. This phenomenon is coherent, occurs with a unit probability, and must show up in almost all realizations of the process dynamics. We calculate the statistical parameters that characterize clustering in three-dimensional and two-dimensional random fluid flows and in a rapidly rotating two-dimensional random flow. In the former case, the vortex component of the random divergence-free flow generates a vortex component of the low-inertia particle velocity field, which generates a potential component of the velocity field through advection. By contrast, in the case of rapid rotation, a potential component of the velocity field is generated directly by the vortex component of the random divergence-free flow (linear problem).