Spectral characterization of mixing properties of annular MHD micromixers

We develop a quantitative analysis of mixing regimes in an annular MHD-driven micromixer recently proposed by Gleeson et al. as a prototype for biomolecular applications. The analysis is based on the spectral properties of the advection–diffusion operator, with specific focus on the dependence of the dominant eigenvalue–eigenfunction on the Peclet number and on the system geometry. A theoretical prediction for the dominant eigenvalue encompassing all mixing regimes is developed and validated by comparison with numerical simulations. The theoretical prediction is extended to an open inflow–outflow version of the reactor, which shows the occurrence of new regimes associated with the existence of a nonuniform axial flow.