Motion of elliptical objects in idealized vortical flow

In many environmental flows, dynamics of interest often lay below the surface and can only be indirectly measured. Typically if we want to measure a flow field we use small spherical tracers, however in the environment we are often limited to what "imperfect" tracers are already floating on the surface (e.g. logs, debris, ice floes). These imperfect tracers can be irregularly shaped, can have length scales larger than the scales of the flow, and can have inertia which will lead to complex responses to the flow. Here we aim to understand these complex interactions by simulating the motion of inertialess elliptical objects in ideal 2D flows such as the Taylor-Green Vortex. We run simulations where we vary the scale, the aspect ratio, and starting position of the objects. We then analyze the kinematics of the objects–including mean transport, dispersion, and orientation–so that we can relate it to the flow field kinematics. We find that the aspect ratio and the size of the object relative to the length scales of flow are important parameters in determining the kinematics of these objects.