When a binary mixture is cooled below its critical temperature it undergoes a phase transition and the mixture separates into its individual components: this phenomenon is widely known as spinodal decomposition. The dynamics proceeds through different regimes all characterized by a coarsening of the domain size. We investigate numerically the dynamics of such a system when the mixture of immiscible fluids is stirred at the large scale and thus turbulent. Under turbulent conditions we find that the coarsening of the domains is arrested and a similarity with the physics of dilute turbulent emulsions is possible. In particular we show that the typical domain size can be estimated by means of the Kolmogorov-Hinze argument for the stability of droplets in turbulence.
Toschi, F., Benzi, R., Clercx, H., Nelson, D., Perlekar, P. (2013). Dynamics of spinodal decomposition in turbulent flows. BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY, 58(18).
Dynamics of spinodal decomposition in turbulent flows
BENZI, ROBERTO;
2013-01-01
Abstract
When a binary mixture is cooled below its critical temperature it undergoes a phase transition and the mixture separates into its individual components: this phenomenon is widely known as spinodal decomposition. The dynamics proceeds through different regimes all characterized by a coarsening of the domain size. We investigate numerically the dynamics of such a system when the mixture of immiscible fluids is stirred at the large scale and thus turbulent. Under turbulent conditions we find that the coarsening of the domains is arrested and a similarity with the physics of dilute turbulent emulsions is possible. In particular we show that the typical domain size can be estimated by means of the Kolmogorov-Hinze argument for the stability of droplets in turbulence.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
