Towards realistic simulations of human cough: effect of droplet emission duration and spread angle

Human respiratory events, such as coughing and sneezing, play an important role in the host-to-host airborne transmission of diseases. Thus, there has been a substantial effort understanding these processes: various analytical or numerical models have developed to describe them, but their validity not fully assessed due difficulty direct comparison with real human exhalations. In this study, we report unique between datasets that both detailed measurements cough using spirometer particle tracking velocimetry, simulation at similar conditions. By examining experimental data, find injection velocity mouth is uni-directional. Instead, droplets are injected into directions, trajectories forming cone shape space. Furthermore, period droplet emissions much shorter than cough: results indicate initial diameter $\gtrsim 10\mu$m emitted within first 0.05 s, whereas duration closer 1 s. These two features (the spread direction short emission) incorporated our simulation, leading improved agreement measurements. accurate representations expulsions models, it imperative include parametrisation features.