Laminar chaotic transport of charge in finite-amplitude electroconvection.

Abstract

In this paper the transport of charge in time-dependent finite-amplitude electroconvection, due to unipolar injection, is examined. It is shown that a chaotic mixing of charge occurs, although the fluid flow is laminar. The charge density, which is an active scalar, affects the fluid dynamics through the Coulomb force. Thus we conjecture that this laminar chaotic mixing is at the origin of electrohydrodynamic chaos, with hydrodynamic turbulence playing no role.