Related papers: A Geometric Theory for the origin and motion of sa…
We develop a dynamical theory for the origin of nuclear rings in barred galaxies. In analogy with the standard theory of accretion discs, our theory is based on shear viscous forces among nested annuli of gas. However, the fact that gas…
Crescentic shape dunes, known as barchan dunes, are formed by the action of a fluid flow on a granular bed. These bedforms are common in many environments, existing under water or in air, and being formed from grains organized in different…
We report an experimental study of a binary sand bed under an oscillating water flow. The formation and evolution of ripples is observed. The appearance of a granular segregation is shown to strongly depend on the sand bed preparation. The…
The interaction of supercritical turbulent flows with granular sediment beds is challenging to study both experimentally and numerically; this challenging task has hampered the advances in understanding antidunes, the most characteristic…
Geometric evolution represents a fundamental aspect of many physical phenomena. In this paper we consider the geometric evolution of structures that undergo topological changes. Topological changes occur when the shape of an object evolves…
The missing mass problem has not been solved decisively yet. Observations show that if gravity is to be modified, then the MOND theory is its excellent approximation on galactic scales. MOND suggests an adjustments of the laws of physics in…
We present a novel numerical method for simulating the generation and propagation of surface gravity waves by vertical seabed displacements. The cornerstone of our method is the computation of a time dependent conformal map which…
Three-dimensional sand ripples can be observed under steady liquid flows in both nature and industry. Some examples are the ripples observed on the bed of rivers and in petroleum pipelines conveying sand. Although of importance, the…
Barchan dunes were found to transform into parabolic dunes and vice versa when the amount of vegetation on and around them changes. This work presents the first numerical simulation of this effect. We propose a continuum model for the…
The standard analytical approach for studying gravity free-surface waves generated by a moving body often relies upon a linearization of the physical geometry, where the body is considered asymptotically small in one or several of its…
We study the initial instability of flat sand surface and further nonlinear dynamics of wind ripples. The proposed continuous model of ripple formation allowed us to simulate the development of a typical asymmetric ripple shape and the…
Accretion of mineralized thin wall-like structures via localized growth along their edges is observed in a range of physical and biological systems ranging from molluscan and brachiopod shells to carbonate-silica composite precipitates. To…
Barchan dunes --- crescent-shaped dunes that form in areas of unidirectional winds and low sand availability --- commonly display an asymmetric shape, with one limb extended downwind. Several factors have been identified as potential causes…
In a previous paper [Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 014501 (2003)], the mechanism of "revolving rivers" for sandpile formation is reported: as a steady stream of dry sand is poured onto a horizontal surface, a pile forms which has a river of sand on…
Dunes are bedforms found on sandy terrains shaped by fluid flow on Earth, Mars, and other celestial bodies. Despite their prevalence, understanding dune dynamics at the grain scale is challenging due to the vast number of grains involved.…
The coupling of sediment transport with the flow that drives it allows rivers to shape their own bed. Cross-stream fluxes of sediment play a crucial, yet poorly understood, role in this process. Here, we track particles in a laboratory…
The saturation length of aeolian sand transport ($L_s$), characterizing the distance needed by wind-blown sand to adapt to changes in the wind shear, is essential for accurate modeling of the morphodynamics of Earth's sandy landscapes and…
We investigate the bulldozing motion of a granular sandpile driven forwards by a vertical plate. The problem is set up in the laboratory by emplacing the pile on a table rotating underneath a stationary plate; the continual circulation of…
In several desert areas, the slow motion of sand dunes can be a challenge for modern human activities and a threat for the survival of ancient places or archaeological sites. However, several methods exist for surveying the dune fields and…
Particle resuspension refers to the physical process by which solid particles deposited on a surface are, first, detached and, then, entrained away by the action of a fluid flow. In this study, we explore the dynamics of large and heavy…