CARGESE INSTITUfE ON DISORDER AND MIXING Convection, diffusion and
reaction are the three basic mechanisms in physico-chemical
hydrodynamics and chemical engineering. Both convective and diffusive
processes are strongly influenced by the effect of disorder of granular
matter in porous media, suspensions, fluidized beds or/and by the
randomness caused in turbulent flow field. This book has been initiated
by a NATO summer institute held in Cargese (Corsica, FRANCE) from June
15 th to 27 th 1987 . Its aim was to associate statistical physicists,
fluid mechanicians and specialists of chemical engineering on the
problems of the relation between disorder and mixing and, in this
respect, this is a " premiere ". This book is made of chapters based on
lectures given in the meeting. However we have paid a considerable
attention to harmonize the contents and styles of chapters made by
scientists trained in different communities and using different
languages and techniques to describe similar problems. The Prelude by
the editors of the book introduces the different points and is a biased
view of some of the important and most active aspects of the subjects
developed. We wish to thank all contributors and students of the
institute who gave the style of the present interdisciplinary approach.
We also greatly thank Elisabeth Charlaix who has shared with us the
scientific and practical organisation of the institute, and Marie-France
Hanseler for her technical support.