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Updated: Jul 4, 2025
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Methods for Measuring the Orientation and Rotation Rate of 3D-printed Particles in Turbulence
Published on: June 24, 2016
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Inertia Induces Strong Orientation Fluctuations of Nonspherical Atmospheric Particles.
T Bhowmick1,2, J Seesing1, K Gustavsson3
1Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, D-37077 Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|February 2, 2024
Summary
Particle orientation in air shows decaying oscillations due to inertia, unlike monotonic relaxation in liquids. This finding is crucial for accurately modeling atmospheric particles like volcanic ash.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric Science
- Fluid Dynamics
- Particle Physics
Background:
- The orientation of atmospheric particles (e.g., volcanic ash, ice crystals) affects their atmospheric residence times and radiative properties.
- Understanding particle behavior is critical for climate and atmospheric modeling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate the orientation dynamics of heavy, nonspherical particles settling in different media.
- To theoretically explain the observed orientation behavior based on physical principles.
Main Methods:
- Experimental demonstration of submillimeter spheroid settling in still air and liquids.
- Theoretical analysis incorporating particle inertia and mass-density ratios.
Main Results:
- Heavy submillimeter spheroids exhibit decaying orientation oscillations when settling in still air.
- In contrast, particle orientation relaxes monotonically when settling in liquids.
- Oscillations in air are attributed to particle inertia, driven by a high particle-fluid mass-density ratio.
Conclusions:
- Particle inertia significantly influences orientation dynamics for dense particles in gaseous media.
- The observed oscillatory behavior must be incorporated into models of atmospheric solid particles.
- Accurate modeling of atmospheric particle orientation is essential for understanding climate impacts.
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