Inertial migration and multiple equilibrium positions of a neutrally buoyant spherical particle in Poiseuille flow

The radial migration of a single neutrally buoyant particle in Poiseuille flow is numerically investigated by direct numerical simulations. The simulation results show that the Segré and Silberberg equilibrium position moves towards the wall as the Reynolds number increases and as the particle size decreases. At high Reynolds numbers, inner equilibrium positions are found at positions closer to the centerline and move towards the centerline as the Reynolds number increases. At higher Reynolds numbers, the Segré and Silberberg equilibrium position disappears and only the inner equilibrium position exists. We prove that the inner annuluses in the measurements of Matas, Morris & Guazzelli (J. Fluid Mech.515, 171–195, 2004) are not transient radial positions, but are real equilibrium positions. The results on the inner equilibrium positions and unstable equilibrium positions are new and convince us of the existence of multiple equilibrium radial positions for neutrally buoyant particles.