Alexandru Mihai, Capillarity, Geometry, and Surface Tension

Speaker: Alexandru Mihai, Mathematics, Mechanics and Materials (Fried) Unit 

Title: Capillarity, Geometry, and Surface Tension

Abstract: We investigate the effects of geometry on capillary action to develop better models of fluid-structure interaction at an interface. Experiments involving acetone droplets in a Leidenfrost state on a liquid substrate lead to interesting research questions in capillarity. A mathematical foundation based in variational principles will be presented in conjunction with experimental results of static capillary surfaces around non-trivial geometries. Also computational results generated using the Smooth Partial Hydrodynamics framework will also be presented.