My name is Mubeen Farukh and I am a senior at
George Mason University majoring in Mechanical Engineering. My research is on
the heat transfer capabilities of bimetallic nano particles about 2 micrometers
in length (a human hair is about 100 micrometers in diameter). I became
interested in nano-particle after my research professor, Dr. Moran, introduced their potential in an introductory
presentation. He explained how they are self-propelled due to a redox reaction
with hydrogen peroxide solution. This results in the particles ‘swimming’ in
the solution, which in turn induces mixing of the solution. As I got involved in the research, I learned
about the potential uses of self- propelled nano-particles for targeted drug
delivery, along with electronics and machine cooling.
This research is related to fluid mechanics, and
particle interactions with the surrounding fluids. I plan on working in the
field of fluid mechanics using the same (or similar) software that I am
currently using for my nano-particles research. Participating in this research has
allowed me greater access to professional insight into the field as well as
software experience which I can build on later in my career.
A lot of my work involves reading and dissecting
papers written by other researchers in the field of self-propelled
nano-particles. On a day to day basis, I work on reading scholarly articles
that mention self-propelled particles of various shapes (round, cylindrical),
sizes, materials, and with different end goals, usually other than heat
transfer. I communicate with my research professor via email and bi-weekly
meetings on campus. Some of my work also involves working with COMSOL
Multiphysics software to simulate simplified nano-particles and their behavior.
One important takeaway from my research this
summer is the level of detail with regards to nano – particles. The physics at
the nano scale requires a higher level of precision to deliver accurate
simulation results.
