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Spinning helices, heaving panels, and waving tails: the role of flexibility in propulsion
Colloquium| Speaker: | Prof. Lisa Fauci, Tulane University |
| Location: | 1147 MSB Math Sci. Building |
| Start time: | Wed, Nov 6 2019, 4:10PM |
The observed gait of a swimmer arises from the interplay of internal force generation, the passive
elastic properties of its body, and environmental features such as fluid viscosity, boundaries, and obstacles.
One could question whether optimal swimming of a fish occurs when it is actuated at a frequency
near a natural frequency determined by its material bending rigidity.
We will share some insights that we have gained using computational models of a few
systems that range from the Stokes regime to others where inertial forces are important.
There will be a reception prior to the colloquium.