Logistic trajectory maps and aerosol mixing due to asynchronous flow at airway bifurcations

Here we analyze bifurcating flow asynchrony in a simplified one-dimensional model. We find: unexpected richness and chaos in particle trajectories; almost all trajectories visit all spatial positions; surprisingly, there is complete mixing-the limiting concentration is spatially uniform. This is a new finding supporting the idea that kinematic irreversibility is a potent mixing and transport mechanism for aerosols deep in the lung.