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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.13273 |
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Table of Contents:
- Dinoflagellates are marine phytoplankton that emit flashes of light in response to flow-induced deformation; they are responsible for illuminating breaking-waves, wakes of ships, and other intensely turbulent spots of the upper ocean. Here, we ask how bioluminescence is affected by the fluctuating nature of turbulence -- a question motivated by the dependence of emitted flashes on both the extent and rate of deformation. Introducing a light-emitting dumbbell as a minimal model, we study the Lagrangian dynamics of flashing in a homogeneous isotropic turbulent flow, and contrast it with that in an extensional flow and a Gaussian random flow. We show that turbulent fluctuations strongly enhance bioluminescence, while introducing a Poisson-like stochasticity in the flashing dynamics. Furthermore, the intermittent fluctuations of the velocity-gradient subjects the dinoflagellate to bursts of extreme straining and produces bright flashes -- more intense, though less frequent, than what would result from Gaussian fluctuations. Our results suggest that radiant displays of marine bioluminescence are strongly promoted by turbulence and its dissipation-scale intermittency.