title: Clustering of inertial particles in compressible chaotic flows.
abstract: Clustering of inertial particles is analyzed in chaotic compressible flows. A simplified dynamical model for the motion of inertial particles in a compressible flow has been derived. Clustering enhancement has been observed for intermediate Stokes times and characterized in terms of the number of particles with negative finite-time Lyapunov exponents and the Lyapunov dimension of the model attractor. Cluster formation has been observed to depend on the nature of the flow; vortical or shear. The motion of heavy and light particles is analyzed in terms of the compressibility and correlation length of the density field.
authors.affiliation: Group of Nonlinear Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pérez-Muñuzuri