Statistics of single and multiple floaters in experiments of surface wave turbulence

CAPPELLETTI, LUCÍA M.; COBELLI, PABLO J.; SUJOVOLSKY, NICOLÁS E.; SUJOVOLSKY, NICOLÁS E.; DEL GROSSO, NICOLÁS F.; MININNI, PABLO D.; DEL GROSSO, NICOLÁS F.; MININNI, PABLO D.; CAPPELLETTI, LUCÍA M.; COBELLI, PABLO J.

Physical Review Fluids

American Physical Society

Lugar: Maryland; Año: 2019 vol. 4 p. 1 - 18

2469-990X

We present laboratory experiments of surface wave turbulence excited by paddles in thedeep water regime. The free surface is seeded with buoyant particles that are advected anddispersed by the flow. Positions and velocities of the floaters are measured using particletracking velocimetry. We study the statistics of velocity and acceleration of the particles,mean vertical displacements, single-particle horizontal dispersion, and the phenomenonof preferential concentration. Using a simple model together with the experimental data,we show that the time evolution of the particles has three characteristic processes thatdominate the dynamics at different times: drag by surface waves at early times, trappingby short-lived horizontal eddies at intermediate times, and advection by a large-scale meancirculation at late times