Physics Colloquium, March 12, 2002

Transition to flapping "flight" in Antarctic pteropods.

Stephen Childress, Courant Institute, New York University

We study the swimming of a small species of pteropod found in the waters beneath the ice shelf in Antarctica. The organism is endowed both with bands of cilia, and a pair of small retractable wings. As the pteropod grows and develops, ciliated locomotion is replaced by flapping "flight". We study the role of the underlying Reynolds number on this transition, suggesting a transition Reynolds number enabling flapping flight. Models of this Reynolds number effect, based upon the Oseen approximation, are described.

3.30 p.m., Smith Laboratory, Room 1005

Refreshments served in Smith 1094 at 3:00 p.m.