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  Session: Upper Division and Graduate Courses and Labs
  Paper Type: Contributed
  Title: Dynamics of Masses Subject to Counter Moving Flows
  Meeting: 2014 Summer Meeting: Minneapolis, Minnesota
  Location: N/A
  Date:
  Time: 4:10PM
  Author: Joseph O. West, Indiana State University
812-237-2037, Joseph.West@indstate.edu
  Co-Author(s): Maarij Syed
  Abstract: The dynamics of objects accreting mass from a uniform background "mist" of small particles are a staple of the "changing mass" component of advanced undergraduate mechanics courses. Such courses typically enroll high ability sophomores and juniors, and challenge students' abilities to model continuous processes. A short review of known accretion models that are particularly useful as they permit analytic solutions is given. In addition, another class of object-mist interaction models involving the motion of symmetric objects (prism, disk, and sphere) in counter flowing mists is introduced. These allow analytic solution for inelastic, non-accreting inelastic, and elastic object-mist interactions. Relative velocity and "sound barrier" effects are investigated and connections to a similar relativistic system are emphasized. Students are challenged to build increasingly complex simulations suitable for numerical modeling. We hope to test this topic in the next iteration of an advanced mechanics courses with web-enabled content.
  Footnotes: None
  Presentation: West-AAPT2014_v5_jw.pdf

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