Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 13, 2026
13:02
Three-dimensional Particle Tracking Velocimetry for Turbulence Applications: Case of a Jet Flow
Published on: February 27, 2016
12.9K
Chiral particles in Taylor-Couette turbulence
Mees M Flapper1, Detlef Lohse2,3, Sander G Huisman4
1Physics of Fluids department and Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, J. M. Burgers Centre for Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 NB, Enschede, The Netherlands. m.m.flapper@utwente.nl.
The European Physical Journal. E, Soft Matter
|January 8, 2026
Summary
Large chiral particles in turbulent Taylor-Couette flow exhibit flow-dominated dynamics, not chirality-dependent behavior. Their movement and rotation are dictated by the fluid
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Particle physics
- Turbulence research
Background:
- Chiral particles break mirror symmetry and exhibit translation-rotation coupling in quiescent fluids.
- Turbulent Taylor-Couette flow presents complex vortical structures and high Reynolds numbers.
- Understanding particle behavior in turbulent flows is crucial for various scientific and engineering applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the translation-rotation coupling of large chiral particles in turbulent Taylor-Couette flow.
- To determine if chirality influences particle dynamics at high Reynolds numbers.
- To analyze particle location, orientation, and rotation statistics within the flow.
Main Methods:
- Experiments conducted with large (5mm) density-matched chiral particles in a dilute regime.
- Particle location and orientation tracked over time in turbulent Taylor-Couette flow.
- Analysis of Reynolds numbers ranging from 9·10^3 to 1.5·10^5.
Main Results:
- Chiral particles closely followed the structure of Taylor vortices.
- No significant difference in rotation or orientation dynamics was observed between left-handed and right-handed particles.
- Particle dynamics were found to be dominated by the flow vorticity.
Conclusions:
- The translation-rotation coupling of chiral particles is flow-dominated in turbulent Taylor-Couette flow.
- Particle chirality does not dictate dynamics at high Reynolds numbers; flow vorticity is the primary factor.
- Chiral particles align with and are governed by the vortical structures of the turbulent flow.
Related Concept Videos
02:25Chirality
29.0K
Chirality is a term that describes the lack of mirror symmetry in an object. In other words, chiral objects cannot be superposed on their mirror images. For example, our feet are chiral, as the mirror image of the left foot, the right foot, cannot be superposed on the left foot.
Chiral objects exhibit a sense of handedness when they interact with another chiral object. For example, our left foot can only fit in the left shoe and not in the right shoe. Achiral objects — objects that have...
Chiral objects exhibit a sense of handedness when they interact with another chiral object. For example, our left foot can only fit in the left shoe and not in the right shoe. Achiral objects — objects that have...
29.0K
02:30Chirality in Nature
16.5K
Chirality is the most intriguing yet essential facet of nature, governing life’s biochemical processes and precision. It can be observed from a snail shell pattern in a macroscopic world to an amino acid, the minutest building block of life. Most of the snails around the world have right-coiled shells because of the intrinsic chirality in their genes. All the amino acids present in the human body exist in an enantiomerically pure state, except for glycine - the sole achiral amino acid.
16.5K
01:22Couette Flow
925
Couette flow represents the flow of fluid between two parallel plates, with one plate fixed and the other moving with a constant velocity. This configuration allows for a simplified analysis using the Navier-Stokes equations, which govern fluid motion under conditions of viscosity and incompressibility. For Couette flow, the assumptions include a steady, laminar, incompressible flow with a zero-pressure gradient in the flow direction. This flow type is beneficial for understanding shear-driven...
925
02:25Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers
14.8K
Molecules that possess multiple chiral centers can afford a large number of stereoisomers. For instance, while some molecules like 2-butanol have one chiral center, defined as a tetrahedral carbon atom with four different substituents attached, several molecules like butane-2,3-diol have multiple chiral centers. A simple formula to predict the number of stereoisomers possible for a molecule with n chiral centers is 2n. However, there can be a lower number where some of the stereoisomers are...
14.8K
02:05Prochirality
4.8K
The concept of prochirality leads to the nomenclature of the individual faces of a molecule and plays a crucial role in the enantioselective reaction. It is a concept where two or more achiral molecules react to produce chiral products. A typical process is the reaction of an achiral ketone to generate a chiral alcohol. Here, the achiral reactant reacts with an achiral reducing agent, sodium borohydride, to generate an equimolar mixture of the chiral enantiomers of the product. For example, an...
4.8K
02:24Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity
21.1K
It is essential to understand the difference between chiral and achiral interactions and the implications thereof in optical activity and their applications. Just as our feet, which are chiral, interact uniquely with chiral objects, such as a pair of shoes, but identically with achiral socks, enantiomers of a molecule exhibit different properties only when they interact with other chiral media. An example of a significant implication from this facet is the phenomenon known as optical activity,...
21.1K