Full Rotational Dynamics of Plastic Microfibers in Turbulence

The motion, settling, and dispersion of microplastics in the ocean are determined by their rotational dynamics. We present experiments on elongated, large aspect ratio, and mildly curved plastic fibers slightly longer than the Kolmogorov length scale. Exploiting their uniquely identifiable three-dim...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2024-08, Vol.133 (5), p.054101, Article 054101
Main Authors: Giurgiu, Vlad, Caridi, Giuseppe Carlo Alp, De Paoli, Marco, Soldati, Alfredo
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The motion, settling, and dispersion of microplastics in the ocean are determined by their rotational dynamics. We present experiments on elongated, large aspect ratio, and mildly curved plastic fibers slightly longer than the Kolmogorov length scale. Exploiting their uniquely identifiable three-dimensional orientation, we perform original optical Lagrangian investigations and provide a set of homogeneous data on their rotation rates around their longitudinal axis: spinning rate, and transversal axes: tumbling rates, which we explain in the context of the general features of turbulence.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.054101