Center for Fluid Mechanics, Division of Applied Mathematics Fluids, Thermal and Chemical Processes Group, School of Engineering Joint Seminar Series
Abstract: This talk will provide an account of the speaker's research on the following fronts: (a) how to create low Reynolds number flows in small apparatus? (b) how to measure turbulent quantities in such flows? (c) how to visualize and characterize quantized line vortices of diameter on the order of an Angstrom? (d) How do they interact with small particles? The talk will assume no prior knowledge of the topics and focus on broad concepts.
Center for Vision Research
Abstract: Imagine tapping into the mind of a coma patient, or watching one's own dream on YouTube. With a cutting-edge blend of brain imaging and computer simulation, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, are bring these futuristic scenarios within reach.
Scientific Computing Seminar
Abstract: In coastal and offshore engineering various simplified wave models are routinely employed for simulation of unsteady nonlinear free surface water waves. Such models are useful for cost-efficient studies and analysis of fundamental flow characteristics and prediction of wave loads on structures due to wave-induced pressures, however, are known to have limited application ranges and accuracy due to the analytical simplifications. In a proof-of-concept study we have recently demonstrated that a unified (full) free surface wave models, which incorporates full nonlinearity and dispersion, can be used as an efficient (next-generation?) modeling basis in combination with a modern commodity many-core GPU architecture. In a next step, we seek to show that by incorporating a simplified, physics-based model for ship-ship interaction the new tool can also be used as a basis for both engineering analysis of ship-wave interactions and interactive real-time computing (i.e. with real-time constraints due to visualization) in a large maritime simulator that are used for training of naval officers. The work is expected to both improve an enable more accurate (realistic) and much faster ship-wave and ship-ship simulations than currently possible. The talk will focus on both algorithmic and numerical performance aspects of the wave tool which is based on high-order finite difference and high-order multigrid methods.
PDE Seminar
Abstract: In modelling liquid crystals, Leslie and Erickson utilize both hyperbolic and parabolic terms along with the core Oseen-Frank potential energy. We focus on the hyperbolic aspect of the motion. We illustrate through asymptotic models the singularity formation of solutions from smooth initial data, the various concepts of weak solutions, and the existence and stability theory for the solutions. Toward the end of the talk, we present our latest work of the global existence of solutions to its Cauchy problem for the system modeling a type of nematic liquid crystal that has equal splay and twist coefficients. We use the three-component director variable, rather than the two-component spherical angle variable, in our equations to avoid a persistent shortcoming in previous works.
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