SAMPLE-TO-SAMPLE FLUCTUATIONS IN FRAGMENTATION AND AGGLOMERATION PROCESSES

The fluctuation dynamics in steady-state fragmentation and aggregation processes is analysed from a kinetic point of view. The fluctuations Delta n(x,t) in the number of particles of size between x and x + Delt a x, in a sample with average occupation number Delta (N) over bar(x), appear to behave like sums of uncorrelated events: [Delta n((x,t)(2)) proportional to Delta (N) over bar(x). The implications of this fact for the applicability of a mean-field description, and possible relati on with intermittency phenomena in three-dimensional turbulence are di scussed.