Global measures of distributive mixing and their behavior in chaotic flows

Two measures of distributive mixing are examined: the standard deviation σ and the maximum error E, among average concentrations of finite-sized samples. Curves of E versus sample size L are easily interpreted in terms of the size and intensity of the worst flaw in the mixture. E(L) is sensitive to the size of this flaw, regardless of the overall size of the mixture. The measures are used to study distributive mixing for time-periodic flows in a rectangular cavity, using the mapping method. Globally chaotic flows display a well-defined asymptotic behavior: E and σ decrease exponentially with time, and the curves of E(L) and σ(L) achieve a self-similar shape. This behavior is independent of the initial configuration of the fluids. Flows with large islands do not show self-similarity, and the final mixing result is strongly dependent on the initial fluid configuration.