Numerical simulation of the dynamics of freely falling discs

We present a comprehensive parametric study of the transition scenario of freely falling discs. The motion of the discs is investigated by a direct numerical simulation of the solid-fluid interaction. The discs are assumed to be homogeneous and infinitely thin. The problem is shown to depend on two independent parameters, the Galileo number expressing the ratio between effects of gravity and viscosity and the non-dimensionalized mass characterizing the inertia of the disc. The obtained results are in agreement with known experimental and numerical data and provide both detailed and comprehensive picture of the transition scenario in the two-parameter plane defined by the Galileo number and the non-dimensionalized mass. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4799179]