Sample to sample fluctuations in fragmentation and agglomeration processes

Abstract

The fluctuations in the particle size distribution for processes of fragmentation and aggregation are studied for stationary state regimes. The system is described in terms of a stochastic process over an adequate tree structure. The RMS fluctuations appear to scale with the square root of the mean distribution, as in the case of sums of statistically independent events. Implications for the applicability of a mean field description to fragmentation and agglomeration processes, and possible relation with intermittency phenomena in three dimensional turbulence are discussed.