DFG Priority Program SPP 1164
Nano- & Microfluidics:
Bridging the Gap between
Molecular Motion and Continuum Flow
Noisy hydrodynamics at fluid interfaces beyond Navier-Stokes equation
| Project Leader: | Prof. Dr. Klaus Mecke Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Institut für Theoretische Physik Erlangen |
Summary
In bulk fluids hydrodynamic Navier-Stokes equations are proven to be
valid down to the nanometer scale. However, at interfaces it was shown
recently that the interplay of substrate potentials and thermal noise
can lead to qualitative different behaviour on laterally much larger
scales up to microns. Based on a stochastic version of the hydrodynamic
equations this proposal aims at the theoretical modelling of fluid flow
at interfaces, where recent experiments indicate an influence of
thermal noise on fluid flow: (i) droplet coalescence and interfacial
flow in sheared colloidal dispersions; (ii) capillary waves on a
nanometer scale; (ii) fluid flow in thin liquid films.
We will apply non-linear stochastic hydrodynamic equations and time-dependent density functional theory, in combinations with geometric techniques such as normal coordinates. We expect to elucidate (i) the role of thermal capillary waves on the coalescence event; (ii) the dependence of dispersion relations and damping factors on molecular interactions; (iii) the discrepancies between experiments and simulations – discovered recently in thin film flow.
We will apply non-linear stochastic hydrodynamic equations and time-dependent density functional theory, in combinations with geometric techniques such as normal coordinates. We expect to elucidate (i) the role of thermal capillary waves on the coalescence event; (ii) the dependence of dispersion relations and damping factors on molecular interactions; (iii) the discrepancies between experiments and simulations – discovered recently in thin film flow.