The fluid dynamics of disease transmission: bubbles, droplets, and microorganisms (GK Batchelor Lecture)

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• Lydia Bourouiba, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Friday 26 May 2023, 16:00-17:00
• MR2.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Prof. Jerome Neufeld.

The fundamental mechanisms governing disease transmission of and contamination by most pathogens remain poorly understood. This is particularly true for respiratory infections, but also for many other diseases, including those involving contamination from water bodies to the air we breathe. Fluid processes and physical laws at various scales, combined with biological and physiological processes, are key in filling this gap. Bubbles, in particular, reside at the water surface before bursting, emitting droplets that can contain chemicals and pathogens linked to disease and contamination. An understanding of these contaminant-laden droplet emissions starts by elucidating the physics of dynamically thinning bubble films. We first focus on clean bubbles and show how a large class of Marangoni flow-inducing effects fundamentally change their thinning dynamics and, in doing so, can dramatically enhance the bubble lifetime. We also discuss how microorganisms can manipulate the aging physics of surface bubbles to enhance their own water-to-air dispersal.

This talk is part of the Fluid Mechanics (DAMTP) series.

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