Evolution of Triangles in Quasi-Two-Dimensional Flow

The anomalous transport of scalar fields in complex flow has recently been explained by considering the nontrivial shape dynamics of clusters of fluid elements. Here, we study the dynamics of three-particle clusters--Lagrangian triangles--that minimally parameterize planes as they are advected in a quasi-2D electromagnetically driven experimental flow. We report results for the shape distributions as a function of the initial triangle size, and discuss the impact of the flow structure on the subsequent triangle evolution. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation.