APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting
The 65th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD) will include more than 2,000 compelling presentations from across the physical sciences, engineering, and medicine.
The meeting will take place Nov. 18 - 20, 2012, at the San Diego Convention Center near the historic Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, Calif. Reporters are invited to attend the conference free of charge. Registration instructions and other information may be found at the end of this news release.
Preliminary Meeting Highlights
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18
The Silent Flight of the Owl: Many species of owl rely on specialized plumage to reduce their noise levels and enable hunting in acoustic stealth. One particular feather arrangement is believed to mitigate the type of air turbulence that is the predominant source of noise. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177007
Acoustic Lens to Boost Power: Acoustic waves are routinely used in ultrasonic imaging or hyperthermia surgery. To give these waves a boost, researchers have constructed an acoustic lens that focuses the waves' energy into so-called "sound bullets." http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177560
Surface Deformation and the 'Cheerios Effect': Small objects floating on the surface of a liquid tend to attract each other through capillary interactions, in a phenomenon dubbed the "Cheerios Effect." A series of experiments studied this phenomenon to gain new insights into self-assembly. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177627
How the Venus Flytrap Actively Snaps: Although they lack muscles, plants have evolved a remarkable range of mechanisms to create rapid motion. The carnivorous Venus Flytrap, whose leaves snap together in a fraction of second to capture insects, has long been an object of study. Researchers provide new insights into their snapping mechanism. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177924
Super-hydrophobic Coating for Aircraft Anti-Icing: Deicing an aircraft is necessary for safe flight operation. This can be done mechanically or with the use of deicing fluids, which need to be reapplied before every flight. A third option, applying a super-hydrophobic (water repellent) coating as anti-icing for an aircraft, is presented. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177678
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Measuring and Analyzing a Bird's Flight: To tackle the long-standing problem of precisely measuring shape and profiling of free-flying birds, researchers developed a technique to determine the shape of naturally textured surfaces. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178264
The Soccer Knuckleball: A soccer ball kicked with a very low spin can exhibit a zigzag trajectory. These trajectories, called knuckleballs, are being studied to determine their cause. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177995
Mosquito Flight Failure in Heavy Fog: Mosquitoes thrive during rainfall and high humidity, and can successfully fly through rainfall. But, just like modern aircraft, too much fog and a mosquito is grounded. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178572
Suction Cups Aid in Tagging Marine Mammals: Securely and humanely tagging marine animals is important for research into their habits and habitats. New research indicates that suction cups can provide sufficient force to safely adhere tags to dolphins. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178233
Penguin Huddle: To protect themselves from the elements, penguins huddle together, shifting their positions so the most exposed and least exposed eventually change location. A new model shows just how effective this strategy is at keeping penguins warm. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178234
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Mixing Water and Biofuels: Gasoline is now commonly combined with ethanol in an effort to reduce dependence on oil. But while alcohol blends easily with water, petroleum does not. New research explores how this combined liquid would behave during a spill. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178765
Dust Settling in Protoplanetary Disks: New clues to planet formation: Planets start out as microscopic grains within protoplanetary disks of gas and dust in orbit around newly formed protostars. Researchers investigate what conditions trigger gravitational instability, causing dust and gas to clump together to form planetesimals, the building blocks of planets. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/179282
Using Simple Flows to Tie Knots in Flexible Fibers: Flexible fibers, such as DNA, have sometimes been found to contain knots. While such fibers are not—strictly speaking—closed knots, they exhibit similar characteristics. The formation of these "open knots" and the effects they have on material properties will be discussed. http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178859
Provided by American Institute of Physics
