PHYSICAL MATHEMATICS SEMINAR


TITLE:	COMPLEX PATTERN FORMATION 
	IN TWO-PHASE MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES



SPEAKER:	DR. TODD THORSEN
		Department of Mechanical Engineering
		Massachusetts Institute of Technology



ABSTRACT: 

Spatiotemporal pattern formation is found in a wide variety of nonequilibrium physical 
and chemical systems. In this seminar, a microfluidic system is presented which has been 
engineered to produce reverse micelles that generate complex, ordered patterns as it is 
continuously operated far from thermodynamic equilibrium.  Flow in a microfluidic system
is usually simple - viscous effects dominate and the low Reynolds number leads to laminar
flow.  In this case the presence of two immiscible fluids allows an instability to form, causing
vesicle formation.  Self assembly of the vesicles into patterns depends on geometric effects 
in the channel structure of the device and the relative fluid pressures, enabling the production 
of a wide range of motifs ranging from monodisperse droplets to helices and multilayer ribbons. 




TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2003
2:30 pm
Building 2, Room 338

Refreshments will be served at 3:30 PM in Room 2-349
          

Massachusetts Institute of Technology,  Department of Mathematics,  Cambridge, MA  02139