Connaughton, Colm, Rajesh, R. and Zaboronski, Oleg V. (2006) Cluster-cluster aggregation as an analogue of a turbulent cascade : Kolmogorov phenomenology, scaling laws and the breakdown of self-similarity. Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, Vol.222 (No.1-2). pp. 97-115. doi:10.1016/j.physd.2006.08.005 ISSN 0167-2789.

Preview

PDF WRAP_Connaughton_Cluster_cluster_0510389v1.pdf - Submitted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (547Kb)

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

We present a detailed study of the statistical properties of a system of diffusing aggregating particles in the presence of a steady source of monomers. We emphasize the case of low spatial dimensions where strong diffusive fluctuations invalidate the mean-field description provided by standard Smoluchowski kinetic theory. The presence of a source of monomers allows the system to reach a statistically stationary state at large times. This state is characterized by a constant flux of mass directed from small to large masses. It therefore admits a phenomenological description based on the assumption of self-similarity and constant mass flux analogous to the Kolmogorov's 1941 theory of turbulence. Unlike turbulence, the aggregation problem is analytically tractable using powerful methods of statistical field theory. We explain in detail how these methods should be adapted to study the far-from-equilibrium, flux-dominated states characteristic of turbulent systems. We consider multipoint correlation functions of the mass density. By an exact evaluation of the scaling exponents for the one and two-point correlation functions, we show that the assumption of self-similiarity breaks down at large masses for spatial dimensions, d <= 2. We calculate non-rigorously the exponents of the higher order correlation functions as an epsilon-expansion where epsilon = 2 - d. We show that the mass distribution exhibits non-trivial multiscaling. An analogy can be drawn with the case of hydrodynamic turbulence. The physical origin of this multiscaling is traced to the presence of strong correlations between particles participating in large mass aggregation events. These correlations stem from the recurrence of diffusion processes in d <= 2. The analytic methods developed here will have more general applicability beyond the study of this specific problem.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Research Centres > Centre for Complexity Science Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Mathematics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Cluster analysis, Dynamics of a particle, Aggregation (Chemistry) -- Mathematical models, Monomers -- Mathematical models
Journal or Publication Title:	Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena
Publisher:	Elsevier Science BV
ISSN:	0167-2789
Official Date:	October 2006
Dates:	Date Event October 2006 Published
Volume:	Vol.222
Number:	No.1-2
Number of Pages:	19
Page Range:	pp. 97-115
DOI:	10.1016/j.physd.2006.08.005
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Related URLs:	Other Repository

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads