Meeting Abstract

S10.2-2  Tuesday, Jan. 7 10:16  Surface tension in human lungs: modeling and experiments LEVY, R*; SWANSON, E; DANIELS, K; STRICKLAND, S; Harvey Mudd College; Centre College; NC State University; NC State University levy@hmc.edu

Naturally produced surfactant, which lowers surface tension is required for normal human lung function. Premature babies born before surfactant production begins, are at risk for respiratory distress, and often require surfactant replacement therapy. For 20 years mathematicians, engineers and physicists have sought to model the complicated flow of fluid lining the passageways and alveoli of the lungs. New experiments allow us to visualize a simplified system that includes a thin film of glycerol and a surface layer of surfactant. This talk will describe what we can learn from such experiments, how the results compare to a commonly accepted model, and how we might modify the experiments to better capture dynamics in the lungs.