student

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PhD stipend

Tuition support

Job summary

University of Birmingham seeks a motivated candidate to develop computational models for chemically active drops, predicting responses to physico-chemical stimuli and improving manoeuvrability. The project offers opportunities to present at conferences and broaden scientific knowledge.

Collaboration with a supervisor will enable dissemination of results and advancement of research in active matter and fluid dynamics.

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in fluid mechanics and PDEs.
• Experience with analytical and numerical methods.
• Excellent oral and written communication.

Responsibilities

• Develop computational models to predict the response of chemically active drops to stimuli.
• Identify guiding stimuli to steer drop trajectories for specified tasks.
• Present findings at conferences and contribute to publications; support career aspirations.

Skills

Fluid mechanics

Analytical methods

Numerical methods (PDEs)

Communication skills

Tools

CFD software

Job description

A particularly interesting and modern micro-swimmer is the chemically active drop. These microscopic drops use chemical energy from an ambient fuel to swim and explore their surroundings. Their appeal lies in their ability to be manufactured in large numbers via inexpensive microfluidic techniques. While the mechanism of these drops' motion is well-known, controlling their trajectory is often challenging. There exist experimental proofs-of-concept that utilize imposed flows or chemical influences or electrical fields to manipulate an active drop's motion, but a systematic first-principles-based analysis of these effects is still lacking. This limits our ability to predictably control and exploit the drop for useful tasks.

Aims:

1. Develop computational models to quantitatively predict the response of chemically active drops to the various physico-chemical stimuli that they most commonly encounter in laboratory experiments.
2. Identify ways to increase the manoeuvrability of a drop according to the demands of the applications mentioned in the beginning. For example, if one knows the trajectory desired from the drop for a reagent transport task, then the challenge would be to identify the ideal 'guiding stimuli' that will lead the drop along said trajectory

The project will yield a predictive framework that can suggest optimum 'spatio-temporal landscapes' of chemical or flow or electric fields, to steer an active drop along a specified path at a specified rate.

We are looking for:

We are looking for curious, enthusiastic and hard-working candidates with the following expertise:

• an understanding of concepts in fluid mechanics, and analytical and numerical methods to solve partial differential equations,
• excellent oral and written communication skills.

Prior experience in computational fluid dynamics or active matter will be a big advantage, but we seek, above all, a willingness to engage rigorously with challenging concepts.

The student will work closely with the supervisor. There will be opportunities to broaden scientific knowledge, gain further insight by disseminating research at conferences, and other ways of supporting career aspirations.

References:

• Ebbens 2016. "Active colloids: Progress and challenges towards realising autonomous applications." Curr. Opin. Colloid & Interface Sci.
• Wang et al 2020. "A practical guide to active colloids: choosing synthetic model systems for soft matter physics research." Soft Matter.
• Desai and Michelin 2021. "Instability and self-propulsion of active droplets along a wall." Phys. Rev. Fluids.
• Desai and Michelin 2022. "Steady state propulsion of isotropic active colloids along a wall." Phys. Rev. Fluids.
• Michelin 2023. "Self-propulsion of chemically active droplets." Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech.

Additional Funding Information

The scholarship covers tuition fees, training support, and a stipend at standard rates for 3-3.5 years.