Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 December 2011
Previous studies of shear dispersion in bounded velocity fields have assumed random velocities with zero Lagrangian time scale (i.e. velocities are -function correlated in time). However, many turbulent (geophysical and engineering) flows with mean velocity shear exist where the Lagrangian time scale is non-zero. Here, the longitudinal (along-flow) shear-induced diffusivity in a two-dimensional bounded velocity field is derived for random velocities with non-zero Lagrangian time scale . A non-zero results in two-time transverse (across-flow) displacements that are correlated even for large (relative to the diffusive time scale ) times. The longitudinal (along-flow) shear-induced diffusivity is derived, accurate for all , using a Lagrangian method where the velocity field is periodically extended to infinity so that unbounded transverse particle spreading statistics can be used to determine . The non-dimensionalized depends on time and two parameters: the ratio of Lagrangian to diffusive time scales and the release location. Using a parabolic velocity profile, these dependencies are explored numerically and through asymptotic analysis. The large-time is enhanced relative to the classic Taylor diffusivity, and this enhancement increases with . At moderate this enhancement is approximately a factor of 3. For classic shear dispersion with , the diffusive time scale determines the time dependence and large-time limit of the shear-induced diffusivity. In contrast, for sufficiently large , a shear time scale , anticipated by a simple analysis of the particle’s domain-crossing time, determines both the time dependence and the large-time limit. In addition, the scalings for turbulent shear dispersion are recovered from the large-time using properties of wall-bounded turbulence.