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Torques on curved atmospheric fibres
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Researchers derived a theoretical model for how planar curved atmospheric fibers settle in quiescent air, finding that fluid-inertia torques can align asymmetric fibers at oblique angles relative to gravity — consistent with recent laboratory observations. The model demonstrates that inertial alignment is a general and important factor governing the atmospheric transport of asymmetric particles such as curved microplastic fibers and ash particles.
Small particles are transported over long distances in the atmosphere, with significant environmental impact. The transport of symmetric particles is well understood, but atmospheric particles, such as curved microplastic fibres or ash particles, are generally asymmetric. This makes the description of their transport properties uncertain. Here, we derive a model for how planar curved fibres settle in quiescent air. The model explains that fluid-inertia torques may align such fibres at oblique angles with gravity as seen in recent laboratory experiments, and shows that inertial alignment is a general and thus important factor for the transport of atmospheric particles.
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Torques on curved atmospheric fibers
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This physics study derived a mathematical model describing how curved fibers — such as curved microplastic fibers or ash particles — rotate and orient themselves as they settle through still air. Unlike symmetric particles, curved fibers experience fluid-inertia torques that tilt them at oblique angles, affecting how far they travel and where they deposit. The work is relevant to understanding airborne microplastic fiber transport: curved fibers behave differently from straight ones or spherical particles, and accurate transport models are needed to predict their deposition patterns.
A physics-based and orientation-aware method for the direct calculation of the settling speed of prolate spheroidal particles in the atmosphere : theoretical basis and comparison to laboratory and CFL data
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Researchers developed a physics-based, orientation-aware method for calculating the settling speed of prolate spheroidal particles such as microplastic fibres in the atmosphere, grounding the approach in theoretical drag and orientation models rather than purely empirical fits and validating it against laboratory and CFD data.
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Researchers experimentally investigated the settling behaviour of curved, V-shaped, U-shaped, and S-shaped cylindrical rods at low Reynolds numbers to improve models of atmospheric microplastic fibre transport, conducting experiments with millimeter-scale metal rods spanning aspect ratios from 10 to 120. The study found that fibre geometry significantly affects settling trajectories and drag compared to simplified sphere or straight-cylinder approximations used in current atmospheric transport models.
Gravitational settling of microplastic fibers: experimental results and implications for global transport
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This study measured the gravitational settling velocities of microplastic fibers and found that their non-spherical shape causes them to settle much more slowly than spheres of the same volume. Current atmospheric transport models that assume spherical particles significantly underestimate how long fibers remain airborne. These results have important implications for predicting how far microplastic fibers can travel before depositing.
Terminal Settling Velocity of Cylindrical Rods with Various Geometries Applicable to Atmospheric Microplastics
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Researchers measured how the shape of cylindrical microplastic fibers affects their settling speed through air, finding that curved and V-shaped fibers fall significantly faster than straight ones — up to 57% faster for V-shaped rods — which matters for predicting how airborne microplastics disperse in the atmosphere.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.