Théorie des bifurcations

La théorie des bifurcations, en mathématiques et en physique est l'étude de certains aspects des systèmes dynamiques. Une bifurcation intervient lorsqu'un petit changement d'un paramètre physique produit un changement majeur dans l'organisation du système. Cas concrets Des exemples classiques d'une bifurcation en sciences pures sont par exemple les rythmes circadiens de populations animales en biologie théorique et les solutions de météo en mathématique et physique non linéaire, en sciences de l'ingénieur il y a aussi le flambage d'une poutre élastique (l'expérience peut être faite avec une règle d'écolier) ou les transitions de phase de matériaux (température critique de bifurcation, concentration critique). Cas de la poutre : si l'on compresse la poutre légèrement, elle va rester droite. Tout à coup, au-delà d'une limite bien définie, la poutre va se plier de plus en plus lorsqu'on augmente la force exercée. Il y a donc bifurcation, ou brisure de symétrie, où l'on pass

Identification of a Predator-Prey System from Simulation Data of a Convection Model

Jan Sickmann Hesthaven

The use of low-dimensional dynamical systems as reduced models for plasma dynamics is useful as solving an initial value problem requires much less computational resources than fluid simulations. We utilize a data-driven modeling approach to identify a reduced model from simulation data of a convection problem. A convection model with a pressure source centered at the inner boundary models the edge dynamics of a magnetically confined plasma. The convection problem undergoes a sequence of bifurcations as the strength of the pressure source increases. The time evolution of the energies of the pressure profile, the turbulent flow, and the zonal flow capture the fundamental dynamic behavior of the full system. By applying the SINDy method we identify a predator-prey type dynamical system that approximates the underlying dynamics of the three energy state variables. A bifurcation analysis of the system reveals consistency between the bifurcation structures, observed for the simulation data, and the identified underlying system.

American Institute of Physics2017

From coating flow patterns to porous body wake dynamics via multiscale models

Pier Giuseppe Ledda

Multiscale phenomena are involved in countless problems in fluid mechanics. Coating flows are known to exhibit a broad variety of patterns, such as wine tears in a glass and dripping of fresh paint applied on a wall. Coating flows are typically modeled under the assumption that the thickness of the fluid layer is much smaller than the characteristic length of the free-surface deformations, i.e. there is a separation of scales between the microscopic variations of the velocity and pressure field along the thin layer and the macroscopic modulations of the free-surface. A different multiscale phenomenon of undeniable interest in the fluid dynamics community is the flow around and through porous objects. Dandelion seeds are transported by the wind thanks to a hairy structure, called pappus, known to present larger values of the aerodynamic drag and a more stable wake compared to an impervious disk in the same flow conditions.This thesis investigates the pattern formation of several coating flows and the wake dynamics past diverse permeable bodies via multiscale models. We initially consider the flow of a thin viscous film underneath an inclined planar substrate. We show the emergence of free-surface structures modulated along the direction transversal to the main flow, called rivulets. These rivulets result from a pure equilibrium between hydrostatic gravity and surface tension effects, and may destabilize with the formation of traveling drops. We determine via a linear stability analysis the critical values of the inclination angle and film thickness beyond which rivulets destabilize. We numerically study the linear and non-linear response with respect to a harmonic forcing in the inlet flow rate, determining the diverse lenses' patterns emerging on a steady rivulet. The dripping problem is deepened by considering a single drop deposited on a very thin film. Very slight inclinations with respect to the horizontal, of the order of degrees, lead to the formation of a rivulet in the wake of a shrinking drop. Subsequently, we investigate the role of these instabilities in karst draperies formation, by coupling the hydrodynamic model with the deposition of calcium carbonate on the substrate. We implement an algorithm which retrieves the asymptotic properties of the two-dimensional linear impulse response from numerical simulations. The analysis shows the predominance of streamwise structures, reminiscent of draperies, growing on the substrate. The role of modifications of the substrate is then investigated in the cases of dewetting of very thin polymer films, in the context of production of optical metasurfaces, and in the case of three-dimensional spreading of a mass of fluid. The last part of the thesis is devoted to the modifications of wake flows instabilities past bluff bodies when composed of a permeable microstructure, with a focus on the case of a porous sphere and a cylindrical circular membrane. We develop an inverse procedure to optimize and retrieve the microstructure based on flow objectives. The analysis is concluded by studying the path instability of a freely-falling permeable disk. A complex series of bifurcations occurs but, as the ratio between voids and solid structure increases, all wake and path instabilities are damped.

EPFL2022

From coating flow patterns to porous body wake dynamics via multiscale models

Pier Giuseppe Ledda

EPFL2022

Identification of a Predator-Prey System from Simulation Data of a Convection Model

Bifurcation points of a degenerate elliptic boundary-value problem

From coating flow patterns to porous body wake dynamics via multiscale models

From coating flow patterns to porous body wake dynamics via multiscale models

Bifurcation points of a degenerate elliptic boundary-value problem

Identification of a Predator-Prey System from Simulation Data of a Convection Model