Fluid & BioDynamics Seminar: New date!: How does particle shape affect the dynamics of small atmospheric particles?

Small particles are transported over long distances in the atmosphere, with significant environmental impact. The transport of spherical particles is well understood, but atmospheric particles -- such as curved microplastic fibres or volcanic ash -- are generally asymmetric. This makes the description of their transport properties uncertain. I this talk I discuss models for the dynamics of asymmetric particles in the atmosphere, both in still and in turbulent air. There is a rich variety of different physical regimes for particles with increasingly complex shapes. I describe successes and failures of the model calculations, compare with laboratory experiments of small microplastic particles settling in air (Bagheri et al., MPIDS in Göttingen), discuss the limitations of the models, and open questions for future research.