Skoltech researchers have proposed novel mathematical equations that describe the behavior of aggregating particles in fluids. This bears on natural and engineering processes as diverse as rain and snow formation, the emergence of planetary rings, and the flow of fluids and powders in pipes.
Reported in Physical Review Letters, the new equations eliminate the need for juggling two sets of equations that had to be used in conjunction, which led to unacceptable errors for some applications.
Fluid aggregation is involved in many processes. In the atmosphere, water droplets agglomerate into rain, and ice microcrystals into snow. In space, particles orbiting giant planets come together to form rings like those of Saturn.
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