Computing the emerging flow in blood vessel sections by means of computational fluid
dynamics is an often applied practice in hemodynamics research. One particular area
for such investigations is related to the cerebral aneurysms, since their formation,
pathogenesis, and the risk of a potential rupture may be flow-related. We present
a study on the behavior of small advected particles in cerebral vessel sections in
the presence of aneurysmal malformations. These malformations cause strong flow disturbances
driving the system toward chaotic behavior. Within these flows, the particle trajectories
can form a fractal structure, the properties of which are measurable by quantitative
techniques. The measurable quantities are well established chaotic properties, such
as the Lyapunov exponent, escape rate, and information dimension. Based on these findings,
we propose that chaotic flow within blood vessels in the vicinity of the aneurysm
might be relevant for the pathogenesis and development of this malformation.
