Professor Omar Matar presents his inaugural lecture “Interfacial Fluid Mechanics: What, How and Who Cares? “.
Abstract: The dynamics and stability of interfacial flows have fascinated scientists for decades. The observations of wave patterns in film flows down a windowpane or along a guttering, the patterning of dewetting droplets and the fingering of viscous flows down a slope, are all examples that are familiar in daily life. The applications of interfacial flows occur over a wide range of length scales and across many areas of engineering, geophysics and biophysics; these include nano- and micro-fluidics, intensive processing, oil and gas transportation, lave flows, dynamics of continental ice sheets, tear-film rupture and surfactant replacement therapy. In this talk, we will show how a number of methodologies, based on analytical and numerical techniques, can be used to predict accurately the characteristics of a range of industrially-relevant interfacial flows. Open problems and exciting research avenues in this area of fluid mechanics will also be highlighted.
Biography: Omar K. Matar was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1971. He received an MEng degree in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London (ICL) in 1993. He then undertook postgraduate studies in fluid mechanics at Princeton University, receiving a Ph.D. in 1998. He subsequently became a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at ICL in 1998. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2003 and then to Professor in 2007. He is currently an Exxon-Mobil Fellow and Professor of Fluid Mechanics, working in the area of multiphase flows with emphasis on the detailed modelling of the dynamics of thin liquid films and slender jets, driven by Marangoni stresses, surface and bulk diffusion, gravitational, capillary, intermolecular forces and parametric forcing. His work places particular emphasis on hydrodynamic instabilities and pattern formation, with applications in intensive processing, coating flow technology, fouling prevention, oil and gas transportation, cleaning processes, distillation, micro-fluidics and surfactant replacement therapy.
Chair: Stephen M. Richardson, Professor Chemical Engineering, Head of Chemical Engineering Department, Imperial College London.
Vote of Thanks: George ‘Bud’ Homsy, Professor and Head of Department of Mechanical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara.
A pre lecture tea reception will be served in the Senior Common Room, Level 2, Sherfield Building from 16.45 pm.
Please register in advance by email to Marie Fleming, m.fleming@imperial.ac.uk.