  The motion of particles suspended in environmental turbulence is relevant to
many scientific fields, from sediment transport to biological interactions to
underwater robotics. At very small scales and simple shapes, we are able to
completely mathematically describe the motion of inertial particles; however,
the motion of large aspherical particles is significantly more complex, and
current computational models are inadequate for large or highly-resolved
domains. Therefore, we seek to experimentally investigate the coupling between
freely suspended particles and ambient turbulence. A better understanding of
this coupling will inform not only engineering and physics, but the
interactions between small aquatic organisms and their environments. We explore
the roles of shape and buoyancy on the motion of passive particles in
turbulence, and allow these particles to serve as models for meso-scale aquatic
organisms. The results of this study will allow us to more accurately predict
the motion of aspherical particles, giving new insights into oceanic carbon
cycling, industrial processes, and other important topics. This analysis will
also shed light onto biological questions of navigation, reproduction, and
predator-prey interaction by quantifying the turbulence-driven behavior of
meso-scale aquatic organisms, allowing researchers to sift out passive vs.
active effects in a behaving organism. Lastly, processes that are directly
dependent on particle dynamics (e.g., sediment transport, industrial processes)
will be informed by our results.
