Cool Experiments
Gallery of Fluid Motion videos
The Saturn-ring instability of a drop in an electric field
Electrohydrodynamics of a particle-coated drop
Why Lab?
First, good theory requires a deep appreciation of the phenomenon being modeled. The Lab in the Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics provides unique opportunities for hands-on experimental experience that illuminate the principles of modeling and key mathematical concepts. Experiments range from simple table-top setups, such as Quincke electrorotation (a physical realization of Lorenz chaos), to more sophisticated systems that require microscopy and intersect with bio- and soft-matter physics, such as thermal fluctuations in biomembranes and self-organization in populations of active particles.
Second, the Lab serves as an incubator for new ideas. Experiments frequently lead to surprising discoveries and open up unforeseen directions for exploration.
The Lab is located in Tech E273. Current equipment includes:
- Two optical inverted microscope Zeiss AxioObserver, equipped for phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy on a vibration-damped optical tables
- Fast camera Photron SA1.1
- Photometrics Kinetix
- Form 3, Forms Lab 3D printer
- Acquisition hardware including piezo collar and digital camera AxioCam
- Acquisition software and high speed computer
- Various equipment: Harvard syringe pump, cameras, voltage amplifiers, function generators, osmometer, incubator, heat bath, balance, freezer and refrigerator