A free-boundary model of diffusive valley growth: theory and observation.

Valleys that form around a stream head often develop characteristic finger-like elevation contours. We study the processes involved in the formation of these valleys and introduce a theoretical model that indicates how shape may inform the underlying processes. We consider valley growth as the advance of a moving boundary travelling forward purely through linearly diffusive erosion, and we obtain a solution for the valley shape in three dimensions. Our solution compares well to the shape of slowly growing groundwater-fed valleys found in Bristol, Florida. Our results identify a new feature in the formation of groundwater-fed valleys: a spatially variable diffusivity that can be modelled by a fixed-height moving boundary.

Statistical mechanics of stochastic growth phenomena.

We develop statistical mechanics for stochastic growth processes and apply it to Laplacian growth by using its remarkable connection with a random matrix theory. The Laplacian growth equation is obtained from the variation principle and describes adiabatic (quasistatic) thermodynamic processes in the two-dimensional Dyson gas. By using Einstein's theory of thermodynamic fluctuations we consider transitional probabilities between thermodynamic states, which are in a one-to-one correspondence with simply connected domains occupied by gas. Transitions between these domains are described by the stochastic Laplacian growth equation, while the transitional probabilities coincide with a free-particle propagator on an infinite-dimensional complex manifold with a Kähler metric.

Stochastic Laplacian growth.

A point source on a plane constantly emits particles which rapidly diffuse and then stick to a growing cluster. The growth probability of a cluster is presented as a sum over all possible scenarios leading to the same final shape. The classical point for the action, defined as a minus logarithm of the growth probability, describes the most probable scenario and reproduces the Laplacian growth equation, which embraces numerous fundamental free boundary dynamics in nonequilibrium physics. For nonclassical scenarios we introduce virtual point sources, in which presence the action becomes the Kullback-Leibler entropy. Strikingly, this entropy is shown to be the sum of electrostatic energies of layers grown per elementary time unit. Hence the growth probability of the presented nonequilibrium process obeys the Gibbs-Boltzmann statistics, which, as a rule, is not applied out from equilibrium. Each layer's probability is expressed as a product of simple factors in an auxiliary complex plane after a properly chosen conformal map. The action at this plane is a sum of Robin functions, which solve the Liouville equation. At the end we establish connections of our theory with the τ function of the integrable Toda hierarchy and with the Liouville theory for noncritical quantum strings.

Selection of the Taylor-Saffman bubble does not require surface tension.

A new general class of exact solutions is presented for the time evolution of a bubble of arbitrary initial shape in a Hele-Shaw cell when surface tension effects are neglected. These solutions are obtained by conformal mapping the viscous flow domain to an annulus in an auxiliary complex plane. It is then demonstrated that the only stable fixed point (attractor) of the nonsingular bubble dynamics corresponds precisely to the selected pattern. This thus shows that, contrary to the established theory, bubble selection in a Hele-Shaw cell does not require surface tension. The solutions reported here significantly extend previous results for a simply connected geometry (finger) to a doubly connected one (bubble). We conjecture that the same selection rule without surface tension holds for Hele-Shaw flows of arbitrary connectivity.

Harmonic moment dynamics in Laplacian growth.

Harmonic moments are integrals of integer powers of z=x+iy over a domain. Here, the domain is an exterior of a bubble of air growing in an oil layer between two horizontal closely spaced plates. Harmonic moments are a natural basis for such Laplacian growth phenomena because, unlike other representations, these moments linearize the zero surface tension problem [S. Richardson, J. Fluid Mech. 56, 609 (1972)], so that all moments except the lowest one (the area of the bubble) are conserved in time. In our experiments, we directly determine the harmonic moments and show that for nonzero surface tension, all moments (except the lowest one) decay in time rather than exhibiting the divergences of other representations. Further, we derive an expression that relates the derivative of the k(th) harmonic moment M(k) to measurable quantities (surface tension, viscosity, the distance between the plates, and a line integral over the contour encompassing the growing bubble). The laboratory observations are in good accord with the expression we derive for dM(k)/dt , which is proportional to the surface tension; thus in the zero surface tension limit, the moments (above k=0) are all conserved, in accord with Richardson's theory. In addition, from the measurements of the time evolution of the harmonic moments we obtain a value for the surface tension that is within 20% of the accepted value. In conclusion, our analysis and laboratory observations demonstrate that an interface dynamics description in terms of harmonic moments is physically realizable and robust.

Fjords in viscous fingering: selection of width and opening angle.

Our experiments on viscous fingering of air into oil contained between closely spaced plates reveal two selection rules for the fjords of oil that separate fingers of air. (Fjords are the building blocks of solutions of the zero-surface-tension Laplacian growth equation.) Experiments in rectangular and circular geometries yield fjords with base widths lambda(c)/2, where lambda(c) is the most unstable wavelength from a linear stability analysis. Further, fjords open at an angle of 8.0 degrees +/- 1.0 degree. These selection rules hold for a wide range of pumping rates and fjord lengths, widths, and directions.