Clustering criterion for inertial particles in two-dimensional time-periodic and three-dimensional steady flows.

We derive an analytic condition that predicts the exact location of inertial particle clustering in three-dimensional steady or two-dimensional time-periodic flows. The particles turn out to cluster on attracting inertial Lagrangian coherent structures that are smooth deformations of invariant tori. We illustrate our results on three-dimensional steady flows, including the Hill's spherical vortex and the Arnold-Beltrami-Childress flow, as well as on a two-dimensional time and space periodic flow that models a meandering jet in a channel.