ME: John E. Dolbow
Friday,
February 7, 2020
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
When a densely-packed monolayer of hydrophobic particles is placed on a fluid surface, the particles interact through capillary bridges, leading to the formation of a particle raft or “praft”. Densely-packed monolayers exhibit a two-dimensional elastic response, and they are capable of supporting both tension and compression. The introduction of a controlled amount of surfactant generates a surface tension gradient, producing Marangoni forces and causing the surfactant to spread, fracturing the monolayer. These systems have a common analog in at at-home science exercise (the pepper experiment) that has been used by educators for many years to illustrate some of the fundamental concepts behind surface tension.
More broadly, these systems are of interest to materials scientists and engineers because they provide an idealized setting for investigating the interplay between fluid flow and fracture. Previous studies of the surfactant-induced fracture of prafts have examined the role of viscosity and the initial packing fraction on the temporal evolution of the fractures. Precisely why densely-packed monolayers fracture in particular and repeatable patterns has remained an open question.
More broadly, these systems are of interest to materials scientists and engineers because they provide an idealized setting for investigating the interplay between fluid flow and fracture. Previous studies of the surfactant-induced fracture of prafts have examined the role of viscosity and the initial packing fraction on the temporal evolution of the fractures. Precisely why densely-packed monolayers fracture in particular and repeatable patterns has remained an open question.
John Dolbow is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke University, where he directs the Duke Computational Mechanics Laboratory. Professor Dolbow received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire in 1995, and his Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from Northwestern University in 1999. He has been a faculty member at Duke University since 1999, and his research concerns the development of numerical methods for evolving interface problems.
He has received various awards for his research, including Young Investigator awards from both the USACM and the IACM. He has held visiting appointments at Harvard University, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, and Sandia National Laboratories. He is the Editor-In-Chief of the journal Finite Elements in Analysis and Design. He currently serves as the President of the US Association for Computational Mechanics, as well as on the DOE’s Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee.
He has received various awards for his research, including Young Investigator awards from both the USACM and the IACM. He has held visiting appointments at Harvard University, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, and Sandia National Laboratories. He is the Editor-In-Chief of the journal Finite Elements in Analysis and Design. He currently serves as the President of the US Association for Computational Mechanics, as well as on the DOE’s Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee.
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