Self-similarity of an eroding body

ORAL

Abstract

Motivated by the erosion of natural landforms, we study the interaction between an eroding body and surrounding fluid-flow using experiments and simulations. Both reveal the emergence of a unique shape that forms early and then shrinks in a self-similar fashion. Here, I focus on simulations in which erosion rate is dictated by local shear stress. In this high-Reynolds-number context, we determine shear stress by combining an outer, inviscid flow with a boundary layer flow. We discover that a broad range of initial shapes morph into a terminal shape characterized by nearly uniform shear.

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Authors

  • M.N.J. Moore

    Courant Institute, New York University, Courant Institute

  • Leif Ristroph

    Courant Institute, New York University, Courant Institute

  • Stephen Childress

    Courant Institute

  • Michael Shelley

    Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10012, USA, New York University, Courant Institute, New York University, Courant Institute

  • Jun Zhang

    New York University Department of Physics, Courant Institute, New York University, Courant Institute