School of Physics, Nonlinear Science & Mathematics Seminar, Dr. Victor Ortega-Jimenez - Kennesaw State University

I will talk about the following topics: firstly, we found that small animal fliers (body size <10 cm) flying directly into an artificial waterfall have a degraded flight performance. We hypothesized that those effects can prevent blood-sucking insects crossing through waterfalls. This can explain why medium-sized birds risks themselves building their nests behind waterfalls. Secondly, we investigated the 3D kinematics and swimming performance of the black ghost knifefish in response to the complex wake of a free oscillating cylinder. We found that vortex-induced vibrations in bluff bodies create an unsteady flow environment that is more challenging for swimming animals, than Kármán vortex streets.