Paper marbling, which involves laying paints on a viscosified liquid surface to create intricate patterns, beautifully showcases fluid motion. We explored why paints float without mixing in acrylic marbling, finding that interfacial tension, surfactants, and Reynolds numbers play key roles. Balance of interfacial tensions supports the paint’s weight, while surfactants promote spreading. The appropriate Reynolds number is generally less than one, indicating that inertia has minimal influence and the fluid motion is governed by the tool’s movement.
Settling down: simulations of soft immersed rods with the reference map technique (GFM 2021) In collaboration with Drs. Luna Lin, Nick Derr, and Prof. Chris Rycroft
To highlight the 3D reference map technique simulation, I developed a rendering pipeline using production animation software to visualize simulation data. Using Maya, I scripted the process to load binary solid geometry, compute fluid streamlines, visualize tracers, and set up the light stage and camera movements. I also textured the solids to effectively showcase 3D fluid–structure simulations. By leveraging production-level animation rendering, the video helped promote the numerical method to a broader audience through engaging, cinematic visuals.
Schlieren visualization of Rayleigh–Bénard convection (Spring 2019) In collaboration with Michael S. Emanuel and Jonathan Guillotte-Blouin for Harvard IACS AC290R Extreme Computing Project I
This project uses Drekar and simulates a 2D turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard Convection using 512 and 1024 CPU cores on Harvard’s Odyssey supercomputinng cluster. Postprocess includes temperature fields, velocity streamlines and Schlieren flow visualizations. Click here to view full visualization including velocity and pressure fields. Click here for the poster. (C++)
Starry waters: A moving Van Gogh (Fall 2018) In collaboration with Claudia Wu for MIT 6.837 Computer Graphics Final Project
The motivation for this project was to reinterpret classical art pieces using modern digital techniques and bring them to life. It was inspired by the movie “Loving Vincent” and Maciek Janicki’s “The Life of Van Gogh”. This project to recreate Van Gogh’s painting “The Starry Night Over the Rhone” and imbue it with movement. To accomplish the final result, three techniques were implemented: painterly render, refraction and water height field. (C++, OpenGL)
