Browsing by Author "Tallapragada, Phanindra"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Identifying dynamical boundaries and phase space transport using Lagrangian coherent structures
    Tallapragada, Phanindra (Virginia Tech, 2010-08-24)
    In many problems in dynamical systems one is interested in the identification of sets which have qualitatively different fates. The finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) method is a general and equation-free method that identifies codimension-one sets which have a locally high rate of stretching around which maximal exponential expansion of line elements occurs. These codimension-one sets thus act as transport barriers. This geometric framework of transport barriers is used to study various problems in phase space transport, specifically problems of separation in flows that can vary in scale from the micro to the geophysical. The first problem which we study is of the nontrivial motion of inertial particles in a two-dimensional fluid flow. We use the method of FTLE to identify transport barriers that produce segregation of inertial particles by size. The second problem we study is the long range advective transport of plant pathogen spores in the atmosphere. We compute the FTLE field for isobaric atmospheric flow and identify atmospheric transport barriers (ATBs). We find that rapid temporal changes in the spore concentrations at a sampling point occur due to the passage of these ATBs across the sampling point. We also investigate the theory behind the computation of the FTLE and devise a new method to compute the FTLE which does not rely on the tangent linearization. We do this using the 925 matrix of a probability density function. This method of computing the geometric quantities of stretching and FTLE also heuristically bridge the gap between the geometric and probabilistic methods of studying phase space transport. We show this with two examples.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Lagrangian coherent structures are associated with fluctuations in airborne microbial populations
    Tallapragada, Phanindra; Ross, Shane D.; Schmale, David G. III (American Institute of Physics, 2011-09-01)
    Many microorganisms are advected in the lower atmosphere from one habitat to another with scales of motion being hundreds to thousands of kilometers. The concentration of these microbes in the lower atmosphere at a single geographic location can show rapid temporal changes. We used autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with microbe-sampling devices to collect fungi in the genus Fusarium 100 m above ground level at a single sampling location in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. Some Fusarium species are important plant and animal pathogens, others saprophytes, and still others are producers of dangerous toxins. We correlated punctuated changes in the concentration of Fusarium to the movement of atmospheric transport barriers identified as finite-time Lyapunov exponent-based Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs). An analysis of the finite-time Lyapunov exponent field for periods surrounding 73 individual flight collections of Fusarium showed a relationship between punctuated changes in concentrations of Fusarium and the passage times of LCSs, particularly repelling LCSs. This work has implications for understanding the atmospheric transport of invasive microbial species into previously unexposed regions and may contribute to information systems for pest management and disease control in the future.