Multiscale analysis of nutrient uptake by plant roots with sparse distribution of root hairs: Nonstandard scaling

Abstract

In this paper we undertake a multiscale analysis of nutrient uptake by plant root hairs, considering different scale relations between the radius of hairs and the distance between them. We combine the method of formal asymptotic expansions and rigorous derivation of macroscopic equations. The former prompt us to study a distinguished limit (which yields a distinct effective equation), allow us to determine higher order correctors and provide motivation for the construction of correctors essential for rigorous derivation of macroscopic equations. In the final section, we validate the results of our asymptotic analysis by direct comparison with full-geometry numerical simulations.

30 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics