Abstract
A theory is presented for the dynamics of dust particles in an incompressible turbulent fluid. Grain-gas coupling occurs through friction forces that are proportional to the mean grain velocity relative to the gas. This test particle theory is applied to the case of a Kolmogoroff spectrum in a protostellar cloud. The mean turbulence induced grain velocity and the mean turbulent relative velocity of two grains are calculated. Whereas the former should determine the dust scale height, grain-grain collisions are influenced by the latter. For a resonable strength of the turbulence, the mean induced relative velocity of two particles turns out to be at least as large as the corresponding terminal velocity difference during gravitational settling.
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Völk, H.J., Jones, F.C., Morfill, G. et al. Induced velocities of grains embedded in a turbulent gas. The Moon and the Planets 19, 221–227 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00896995
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00896995