Mixing
processes occur in many technological and natural applications,
with length and time scales ranging from the very small to the
very large. The diversity of problems can give rise to a diversity
of approaches. Are there concepts that are central to all of
them? Are there tools that allow for prediction and quantification?
The authors show how a variety of flows in very different settings
possess the characteristic of streamline crossing. This notion
can be placed on firm mathematical footing via Linked Twist
Maps (LTMs), which is the central organizing principle of this
book. The authors discuss the definition and construction of
LTMs, provide examples of specific mixers that can be analyzed
in the LTM framework and introduce a number of mathematical
techniques which are then brought to bear on the problem of
fluid mixing. In a final chapter, they present a number of open
problems and new directions.