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Minicourse: Fluid Dynamics. Profs. Monika Nitsche and Peter Vorobieff. Fluid dynamics is a beautiful subject that builds on many areas of mathematics including vector analysis, mathematical modeling, complex variables, and numerical analysis. We will reinforce the basic mathematics and use it to derive the equations of fluid dynamics. We will study simple analytical solutions, and simple numerical solutions using MATLAB (such as plotting streamlines, vorticity and pressure fields). This will be complemented by laboratory experiments in which the students are introduced to basic techniques such as measurements of lift and drag forces on a lifting surface and on a bluff body, as well as flow visualization using dye and smoke. Lift and drag on an airfoil and their dependence on the freestream velocity and the angle of attack will be related to ideal fluid flow theory using two-dimensional complex-variable representation of the flow. Vortex shedding behind a cylinder and a sphere visualized with dye and/or smoke injection will demonstrate transient flow patterns and the limitations of ideal flow theory. Professor Nitsche is currently Undergraduate Chair. She started UNMs participation in the SW Undergraduate Mathematics Research Conferences (SUnMaRC) series by organizing the succesful conference at UNM in 2009. Since then UNM students have participated each year, which lead to the current revival of the MathClub. She has mentored undergraduate research theses of students that have continued to grad school, and has cotaught the graduate student teacher training seminar in 2007-2008. Professor Vorobieff is an experimental fluid dynamicists who will add an experimental laboratory component to the course. His teaching will complement Prof. Nitsche's presentations, and both together will give students a more dynamic insight into the material. |
