Aerodynamic generation of electric fields in turbulence laden with charged inertial particles.

ABSTRACT: Self-induced electricity, including lightning, is often observed in dusty atmospheres. However, the physical mechanisms leading to this phenomenon remain elusive as they are remarkably challenging to determine due to the high complexity of the multi-phase turbulent flows involved. Using a fast multi-pole method in direct numerical simulations of homogeneous turbulence laden with hundreds of millions of inertial particles, here we show that mesoscopic electric fields can be aerodynamically created in bi-disperse suspensions of oppositely charged particles. The generation mechanism is self-regulating and relies on turbulence preferentially concentrating particles of one sign in clouds while dispersing the others more uniformly. The resulting electric field varies over much larger length scal

SUBMITTER: Di Renzo M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5920100 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature