Celebrating the physics of all that flows with Nicole Sharp, Ph.D.
- Profile
Renewing the Colorado River
The Glen Canyon Dam lies on the Colorado River, upstream of the Grand Canyon. Because the dam blocks sediment from upstream, the region’s only sediment sources are two tributary rivers downstream of the dam. Periodically, the Bureau of Reclamation releases high flows from the dam in order to mimic the seasonal floods that existed on…
Exploring Martian Mud Flows
When looking at Mars and other parts of our solar system, planetary scientists are faced with a critical question: if what I’m looking at is similar to something on Earth, did it form the same way it does here? In other words, if something on Mars looks like a terrestrial lava flow, is it actually…
New Signs of Turbulence in Blood Flow
Our bodies are filled with a network of blood vessels responsible for keeping our cells oxygenated and carrying away waste products. In many ways, our blood vessels are tiny pipes, but there’s a crucial difference in the flow they carry: it’s pulsatile. Because the flow is driven by our hearts, rather than a continuous pump,…
Seeping Sculptures
Drips, blobs, and squishes – that’s how artist Dan Lam describes her recent series of sculptures. The pieces are a mix of polyurethane foam, resin, and acrylic, decorated in bold gradients of neon color. I love the fluidity of each piece, as well as the decorative piping of spikes on many of them. (As a…
Aerodynamic Flight Testing
Flight testing models has a long history in aerodynamics. Above you see a Curtiss JN-4 biplane in flight with a model wing suspended below the fuselage. This test was conducted circa 1921 by NASA’s predecessor, NACA. At the time, of course, computational simulations were non-existent, and, although wind tunnels existed, presumably they could not recreate…
Particle-filled Splashes
Adding particles to a liquid can significantly alter its splash dynamics, as shown in this new study. In the first image, a purely-liquid droplet spreads on impact into a thin liquid sheet that destabilizes from the rim inward, ripping itself into a spray of droplets. At first glance, the particle-filled droplet in the second image…
Updating Undergraduate Heat Transfer
For many engineering students, their first exposure to fluid dynamics comes in a heat transfer class. The typical focus in these classes is not on the underlying physics but on learning to use empirical formulas and correlations that are used in engineering heat exchangers, computer fans, and other applications. As part of this, students are…
“Focus, Vol. 2”
This short film from photographer Roman De Giuli focuses on ethereal and abstract fluids. What you’re watching is primarily paint, with a little in the way of flow additives. There’s lovely marbling and some impressively sharp edges, but mostly you can just sit back and enjoy the flow! (Image and video credit: R. De Giuli)
The Naruto Whirlpools
Enormous whirlpools are not simply the work of overactive imaginations. There are several spots in the world, including Japan’s Naruto Strait, that regularly see these spectacular vortices. Naruto’s whirlpools are formed through the interaction of tidal currents with the local topography. Spring tides funneled through the vee-shaped strait can reach speeds of 20 kph as…