### Session EJ: Chaos and Fractals II

4:10 PM–5:15 PM, Sunday, November 18, 2007
Salt Palace Convention Center Room: 250 D

Chair: Tom Solomon, Bucknell University

Abstract ID: BAPS.2007.DFD.EJ.1

### Abstract: EJ.00001 : Stretching, break-up and coarsening in a flow with chaotic advection

4:10 PM–4:23 PM

MathJax On | Off   Abstract

#### Authors:

Tom Solomon
(Bucknell University)

Jeff Boehmer
(Bucknell University)

We present experimental studies of the behavior of drops of an immiscible impurity in time-periodic flows that exhibit chaotic mixing. Two flows are used: a blinking vortex flow and a 2D array of oscillating vortices. The immiscible impurity is a fluorescent oil that floats in a thin layer on the surface of the flow. Large oil droplets are broken up by advection, whereas small droplet coalesce. The balance between these effects results in a distribution of oil droplets and tendrils. We measure the spectrum of this distribution and investigate how this spectrum evolves in time and varies with the strength of the flow. We also investigate the time-dependent stretching and relaxation of individual droplets, relating this behavior to the time-variation of a Lagrangian Capillary Number'' which is based on finite-time Lyapunov exponents.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2007.DFD.EJ.1