2008-09 IAM-PIMS-MITACS Distinguished Colloquium Series - 03
- Date: 01/12/2009
University of British Columbia
Understanding Swimming at Low Reynolds Numbers: Successes and Challenges
Microorganisms such as bacteria and spermatozoa move in a world where
viscous forces completely dominate inertial forces, and the time
evolution of their motion may be thought of as a sequence of
steady-state snapshots. In this world, what motility strategies give
rise to efficient locomotion? The study of the fluid dynamics of
microorganism motility began with the classic work of G. I. Taylor in
1951, and has been an active area of research in the last decades.
Current modelling challenges include the collective dynamics of
microorganisms and their interactions with surrounding physical and
chemical environments, coupling of their internal force-generating
mechanisms with external fluid dynamics, as well as their motion
through viscoelastic fluids. We will present recent work, both
analytical and computational, that sheds light on these complex systems.
3:00-4:00pm, Room 301, Leonard S. Klinck Building (6356 Agricultural Road, UBC).
Refreshments are served in room 306 (IAM Lounge) at about 15 minutes before the talks.
