Settling of inertial particles in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection
Vojtěch Patočka, Enrico Calzavarini, Nicola Tosi
Abstract
Settling of inertial particles in basally heated fluids is a topic of great significance in nature and, in particular, for the study of how magma cools and solidifies. The residence time of particles in Rayleigh-B\'enard convection is computed for a broad range of flow and particle parameters, and a general analytic formula is designed that captures the results. It is found that particles tend to settle rapidly compared with the characteristic solidification timescale of magmatic systems. In addition, the horizontal distribution of settling events shows a surprising pattern: Heavy particles settle preferentially below clusters of upwelling plumes.
Topics & Concepts
SettlingMechanicsTurbulenceReynolds numberConvectionContext (archaeology)Prandtl numberConvection cellPhysicsGeologyGeophysicsClassical mechanicsNatural convectionThermodynamicsCombined forced and natural convectionPaleontologyParticle Dynamics in Fluid FlowsAeolian processes and effectsFluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows