Pre-Turbulent Regimes in Graphene Flows

TL;DR

This paper provides numerical evidence of electronic pre-turbulent phenomena in graphene, highlighting vortex formation, effects of relativistic corrections, and a relation between vortex shedding frequency and flow stability, relevant for future experiments.

Contribution

It introduces the first numerical analysis of pre-turbulent flows in graphene, including relativistic effects and a new relation between Strouhal and Reynolds numbers.

Findings

Vortex detachment can be observed via current fluctuations.

Relativistic corrections delay flow instability and alter vortex shedding.

A relation between Strouhal and Reynolds numbers is established.

Abstract

We provide numerical evidence that electronic pre-turbulent phenomena in graphene could be observed, under current experimental conditions, through detectable current fluctuations, echoing the detachment of vortices past localized micron-sized impurities. Vortex generation, due to micron sized constriction, is also explored with special focus on the effects of relativistic corrections to the normal Navier-Stokes equations. These corrections are found to cause a delay in the stability breakout of the fluid as well as a small shift in the vortex shedding frequency. Finally, a relation between the Strouhal number, a dimensionless measure of the vortex shedding frequency, and the Reynolds number is provided under conditions of interest for future experiments.