SoylentNews

Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

A Purdue University researcher has solved a 140-year-old enigma in fluid mechanics [phys.org]: Why does a simple formula describe the seemingly complex physics for the behavior of elliptical particles moving through fluid?

The findings have potential implications for research and industry because ellipsoid nanoparticles are encountered in various applications including those involving pharmaceuticals, foods and cosmetics.

Like a sphere, the oblong ellipsoids undergo "rigid body motion" when submerged in a fluid, meaning they do not deform while moving from side to side and rotating. However, because an ellipsoid is not perfectly spherical, it is counterintuitive that its rigid-body motion in a fluid could be described using the same simple mathematical expression as spheres.

Original Submission