Descrizione del progetto
Indurre il moto browniano vicino a superfici morbide con le fluttuazioni termiche
Proprio come piccoli flipper, le particelle in un fluido manifestano un movimento casuale (moto browniano) a causa delle collisioni con le molecole circostanti. Comprendere e controllare la mobilità delle entità microscopiche in ambienti morbidi e confinati si rivela fondamentale per molti sistemi su scala nanometrica e biomimetici. Un modo per farlo è utilizzare una forza di portanza elastoidrodinamica di recente previsione su un oggetto immerso che si muove vicino a una parete elastica. Il progetto EMetBrown, finanziato dall’UE, intende studiare se e come le fluttuazioni termiche attivano spontaneamente effetti elastoidrodinamici, ovvero il moto browniano vicino a interfacce morbide in ambienti complessi e confinati. Una comprensione e un controllo più approfonditi sortiranno un impatto importante sul trasporto delle particelle, sulla modellazione della superficie, sulle reazioni confinate e sulla nanoreologia.
Obiettivo
Soft and wet contacts are ubiquitous across scales from geology to physiology and are crucial for engineering. Furthermore, many processes of physics and biology at small scales are governed by the mobility of microscopic entities in soft and confined environments, with the aim of reaching specific targets. Interestingly, an emergent elastohydrodynamic (EHD) lift force was theoretically predicted recently for an immersed object moving near an elastic wall. An active community, including the PI, has started to explore this striking effect with various deterministic models and experiments, showing its relevance for nanoscale and biomimetic systems. In this context, and moving beyond the deterministic, the PI’s central claim is that such EHD effects can be spontaneously triggered by thermal fluctuations. The result would be an original migration scenario in complex and confined environments – with enormous implications. However, studies are scarce on the topic. The ambition of EMetBrown is thus to address this challenge at the interface between two mature fields, by solving a fundamental problem involving both continuum and statistical mechanics: Brownian motion near soft interfaces. The three objectives are to reveal, explore and harvest the signatures of such motion, paving the way towards the future design of methods for particle transport, surface patterning, confined reactions and nanorheology. These objectives will be reached using a combination of experiments, theory and numerics, domains in which the PI has extensive experience. EMetBrown involves three core experimental setups (free colloids, optical trapping and atomic-force microscopy), three core theoretical models (soft lubrication, stochastic theory and Langevin simulations) and three exploratory tools (microfluidics, suspension rheometry and molecular dynamics). These complementary methods will be employed through four work packages covering various viscous, hard, soft materials, as well as applied flow.
Campo scientifico
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanicsmicrofluidics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencescondensed matter physicssoft matter physics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsstatistical mechanics
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringadditive manufacturing
- natural sciencesmathematicsapplied mathematicsnumerical analysis
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsIstituzione ospitante
75794 Paris
Francia