CANCELED - CAM Colloquium: Konstantina Trivisa (UMD) - Patterns in Fluids and Materials: On the dynamics of ferrofluids and polymers

Description

Abstract:
Ferrofluids are stable colloidal dispersions of nano-sized particles of ferro- or ferrimagnetic particles in a carrier liquid. A crucial property of ferrofluids is that they can be actuated by magnetic fields, upon changing the position and strength of magnets, and be forced to flow to precise locations or display a specific pattern. These complex fluids have an array of engineering and biomedical applications. Ferrofluids have been instrumental in transporting medications to exact locations within the human body (drug delivery), they have been of use as contrasting agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans.

In this talk, I’ll present results on the global existence of weak solutions to a model proposed by Rosensweig (1985) describing the dynamics of ferrofluids and results on the suspension of rod-like and bead -like molecules within a compressible and incompressible fluid. The significance of this work lies on the fact that it provides a variational framework that is suitable for simulations and computational investigation. 

Bio:
Konstantina Trivisa received her Ph.D from the Division of Applied Mathematics at Brown University in 1996. After postdoctoral appointments at the Carnegie Mellon University and Northwestern University, she became a faculty member at the University of Maryland, where she holds a joint position at the Department of Mathematics and the
Institute for Physical Science and Technology. She is an expert on nonlinear partial differential equations arising in continuum physics. Her work aims at providing an answer to the fundamental question: Given the complexity of the nonlinear systems arising in physical applications, how can one construct suitable approximating schemes which converge and provide the best approximation of those nonlinear systems? How can one guarantee the validity of a given model? Often the answer involves connecting the theoretical results and simulations with experimental observations. Her research has been recognized by an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship and The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers among others. She served as Director of the Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation Program in the period 2007-2018 and currently serves as Associate Director of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology.