-----------------------------------------------------------

Fluid Dynamics Seminar

Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, 4:00 PM
Cullimore, Room 611
New Jersey Institute of Technology

Finding Minimum Energy Paths of Droplets on Superhydrophobic Surfaces: A Phase Field Approach

Kellen Petersen

Department of Mathematics New York University

Abstract

Interest in superhydrophobic surfaces has increased due to a number of interesting advances in science and engineering. A classical approach will be given as motivation for using a phase field model. After explaining our phase field model, I will discuss different methods for finding saddle points between minima with emphasis on the String Method. Resulting minimum energy paths will then be shown for different topographical and chemical surface characterizations.