Coalescence of particles by differential sedimentation

Horvai, P., Nazarenko, S. V. and Stein, T. H. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9215-5397 (2008) Coalescence of particles by differential sedimentation. Journal of Statistical Physics, 130 (6). pp. 1177-1195. ISSN 1572-9613 doi: 10.1007/s10955-007-9466-y

Abstract/Summary

We consider a three dimensional system consisting of a large number of small spherical particles, distributed in a range of sizes and heights (with uniform distribution in the horizontal direction). Particles move vertically at a size-dependent terminal velocity. They are either allowed to merge whenever they cross or there is a size ratio criterion enforced to account for collision efficiency. Such a system may be described, in mean field approximation, by the Smoluchowski kinetic equation with a differential sedimentation kernel. We obtain self-similar steady-state and time-dependent solutions to the kinetic equation, using methods borrowed from weak turbulence theory. Analytical results are compared with direct numerical simulations (DNS) of moving and merging particles, and a good agreement is found.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/37026
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	No Reading authors. Back catalogue items Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Publisher	Springer
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