The collective effect of finite-sized inhomogeneities on the spatial spread of populations in two dimensions.

The dynamics of a population expanding into unoccupied habitat has been primarily studied for situations in which growth and dispersal parameters are uniform in space or vary in one dimension. Here, we study the influence of finite-sized individual inhomogeneities and their collective effect on front speed if randomly placed in a two-dimensional habitat. We use an individual-based model to investigate the front dynamics for a region in which dispersal or growth of individuals is reduced to zero (obstacles) or increased above the background (hotspots), respectively.

Statistical properties of thermally expandable particles in soft-turbulence Rayleigh-Bénard convection.

The dynamics of inertial particles in Rayleigh-Bénard convection, where both particles and fluid exhibit thermal expansion, is studied using direct numerical simulations (DNS) in the soft-turbulence regime. We consider the effect of particles with a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the fluid, causing particles to become lighter than the fluid near the hot bottom plate and heavier than the fluid near the cold top plate. Because of the opposite directions of the net Archimedes' force on particles and fluid, particles deposited at the plate now experience a relative force towards the bulk.

Velocity and acceleration statistics in rapidly rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection.

Background rotation causes different flow structures and heat transfer efficiencies in Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC). Three main regimes are known: rotation-unaffected, rotation-affected and rotation-dominated. It has been shown that the transition between rotation-unaffected and rotation-affected regimes is driven by the boundary layers.

Directional change of tracer trajectories in rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection.

The angle of directional change of tracer trajectories in rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection is studied as a function of the time increment τ between two instants of time along the trajectories, both experimentally and with direct numerical simulations. Our aim is to explore the geometrical characterization of flow structures in turbulent convection in a wide range of timescales and how it is affected by background rotation. We find that probability density functions (PDFs) of the angle of directional change θ(t,τ) show similar behavior as found in homogeneous isotropic turbulence, up to the timescale of the large-scale coherent flow structures.

Transitions in turbulent rotating convection: A Lagrangian perspective.

Using measurements of Lagrangian acceleration in turbulent rotating convection and accompanying direct numerical simulations, we show that the transition between turbulent states reported earlier [e.g., S.