Meeting Abstract

49.4  Thursday, Jan. 6  Numeric simulation of convective-diffusive odor transport to chemosensory hairs of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii PRAVIN, Swapnil*; MELLON, Deforest; REIDENBACH, Matthew; University of Virginia; University of Virginia; University of Virginia sp8yh@virginia.edu

Aquatic organisms like arthropods have the ability to sense fluid flow and chemicals in their surrounding environment using antennules bearing specialized mechanosensory and chemosensory hairs. In this study, we focused specifically on the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, which uses a flicking action of its antennules to sample the odors contained in the fluid flow around it. The convective diffusive flow of the odor species around and between the chemosensory hairs, called aesthetascs, during a flick of the antennule was analyzed numerically. The stagnation point flow over the aesthetasc surface shows that the time period for the chemical species to reach its peak value, after diffusing through a porous membrane lining the aesthetasc, is comparable to the flicking time. Results also show that the crayfish is able to take a discrete sample of odor laden water during each successive flick through a combination of fast downstroke (aesthetasc Re=0.2) and a comparatively slower returnstroke (Re=0.1). The effect of inter-aesthetasc spacing and flow velocity on the sensitivity of the flow sensing over a range of Reynolds numbers is examined and the results are used to explain the behavior of the organism to their surrounding flow and odor field.