Turbulent dispersion of many particles

We demonstrate the utility of the convex hull to analyze dispersion of groups of many Lagrangian tracer particles in turbulence. We examine dispersion in turbulent flows driven by convection, relevant to geophysical flows and the spread of contaminants in the atmosphere, and in turbulent flows affected by magnetic fields, relevant to stellar winds and stellar interiors. Convex hull analysis can provide new information about local dispersion, in the form of the surface area and volume for a cluster of particles. We use dispersive information to examine the local anisotropy that occurs in these turbulent settings, and to understand fundamental characteristics of heat transfer and the small-scale dynamo.