Settling and swimming of flexible fluid lubricated foils

Settling and swimming of flexible fluid lubricated foils

Settling and swimming of flexible fluid lubricated foils M. Argentina, J. Skotheim and L. Mahadevan,  Physical Review Letters , 99, 224053, 2007.
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Abstract

We study the dynamics of a flexible foil immersed in a fluid and moving close to a rigid wall.
Lubrication theory allows us to derive equations of motion for the foil and thus examine the passive
settling and the active swimming of a foil. This also allows us to partly answer the long-standing question
in cartoon physics—can carpets fly? Our analysis suggests a region in parameter space where one may
realize this dream and move the virtual towards reality.