Time-Dependent Diffusion Coefficients for Chaotic Advection due to Fluctuations of Convective Rolls

Abstract

The properties of chaotic advection arising from defect turbulence, that is, weak turbulence in the electroconvection of nematic liquid crystals, were experimentally investigated. Defect turbulence is a phenomenon in which fluctuations of convective rolls arise and are globally disturbed while maintaining convective rolls locally. The time-dependent diffusion coefficient, as measured from the motion of a tagged particle driven by the turbulence, was used to clarify the dependence of the type of diffusion on coarse-graining time. The results showed that, as coarse-graining time increases, the type of diffusion changes from superdiffusion → subdiffusion → normal diffusion. The change in diffusive properties over the observed timescale reflects the coexistence of local order and global disorder in the defect turbulence.