Symmetry breaking phenomena in thermovibrationally driven particle accumulation structures

Following the recent discovery of new three-dimensional particle attractors driven by joint (fluid) thermovibrational and (particle) inertial effects in closed cavities with various shapes and symmetries [M. Lappa, Phys. Fluids 26(9), 093301 (2014); ibid. 31(7), 073303 (2019)], the present analysis continues this line of inquiry by probing influential factors hitherto not considered; among them, the role of the steady component of thermovibrational convection, i.e., the time-averaged velocity field that is developed by the fluid due to the non-linear nature of the overarching balance equations. It is shown how this apparently innocuous problem opens up a vast parameter space, which includes several variables, comprising (but not limited to) the frequency of vibrations, the so-called Gershuni number, the size of particles (Stokes number), and their relative density with respect to the surrounding fluid (density ratio). A variety of new particle structures (2D and 3D) are uncovered and a complete analysis of their morphology is presented. The results reveal an increase in the multiplicity of solutions brought in by the counter-intuitive triadic relationship among particle inertial effects and the instantaneous and time-averaged convective thermovibrational phenomena. Finally, a universal formula is provided that is able to predict correctly the time required for the formation of all the observed structures.