Sea Monkeys Show Scientists How to Rewrite a Rule of Turbulence
2 days ago
- Brine shrimp (sea monkeys) are tiny swimmers that can alter the direction of energy flow in a turbulent system.
- Traditionally, energy in two-dimensional turbulence flows from small to large scales, while in three dimensions it flows from large to small.
- Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered that adjusting the angle of a small obstacle or a shrimp's body relative to the flow can reverse the energy cascade.
- The finding was explained using tensor geometry, which describes how shear and small-scale movements interact to determine energy flux.
- Experiments with centimeter-long rods confirmed the effect, and numerical simulations by independent scientists supported the results.
- The work has potential applications in pollution control, drug design, and understanding fluid dynamics in larger systems.
- Scientists are exploring how to manipulate transport barriers between mixing fluids using less than 1% of the energy typically required.