Colloquium: J. Simons, Fluid Mechanics of Sperm Motility
Event Description:
Title: The Fluid Mechanics of Sperm Motility
Abstract: As sperm travel towards the egg, their swimming behavior is
modulated by the complex effects of surface interactions, nearby
neighbors, and other factors. Using the method of regularized Stokeslets,
we will discuss a model for the planar motion of a sperm flagellum in a
3D, incompressible Newtonian fluid. We will use this to explore the
interplay between surfaces, fluids, and flagellar mechanics. We will then
extend the model to incorporate fully three-dimensional flagellar
dynamics. This new model allows us to investigate the role that nearby
neighbors play in sperm motility and swimming behavior in populations.