Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Physics
Long-Range And Chaotic Active Mixing Of Swimming Microbes In A Vortex Chain Flow, Nghia Le
Long-Range And Chaotic Active Mixing Of Swimming Microbes In A Vortex Chain Flow, Nghia Le
Honors Theses
We present experiments studying the motion and active mixing of swimming mi- crobes in laminar, vortex-dominated fluid flows. We are testing a theory that predicts the existence of swimming invariant manifolds (SwIMs) - invisible, one-way barriers blocking the paths of self-propelled tracers in the flow in one direction. We also pro- pose that the SwIMs together can form chute structures in three-dimensional phase space that facilitate cross-vortex transport of the microbes. We also observe evidence of how these structures promote long-range transport at different non-dimensional velocities (microbe’s velocity relative to flow velocity). Long-range transport is quan- tified by measuring the …
Establishing Independent Tunability Of The Mechanical And Transport Properties Of Polymer Gels, Lucas Rankin
Establishing Independent Tunability Of The Mechanical And Transport Properties Of Polymer Gels, Lucas Rankin
Master’s Theses
Polymer gels can be used in the fabrication of materials for filtering liquid and gaseous media, solid-state electrolytes, and transdermal medical patches. This diverse range of applications primarily relies on the transport and mechanical properties of polymer gels. Both sets of properties have shown excellent tunability, but typically in a coupled fashion. Establishing the independent tunability of the transport and mechanical properties of polymer gels (using simple, cost-effective methods) is paramount if polymer gels are to be used to their full potential. Specifically, block copolymer gels self-assemble into organized nanoscale networks within the gel solvent, which allows for facile control …