The behavior of fluids and spheres traveling through a fluid with a sharp transition in density (Leland Harriger, UNC-Chapel Hill)

Abstract: Two different experiments are perfomed using a tank of salt water that has been stratified such that a sharp transition in fluid density exists between the upper and lower portions of the tank. The first experiment consists of dropping into the tank small spheres of density only slightly greater than the density of the tank fluids. The second experiment consists of firing into the bottom of the tank an underwater jet of dyed fresh water whose density is lighter than both of the tank fluids. It has been observed that turbulent mixing of fluid densities across the interface has interesting effects on both the velocity and direction of travel of the spheres and jet fluid.

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This is an abstract of a poster to be presented at the 2004 SEAMS Workshop in Charleston, SC. For more information, visit the workshop's homepage at math.cofc.edu/SEAMS.