The Mechanics of Curly Hair
Pedro Reis (MIT), Jay Miller (MIT), Arnaud Lazarus (MIT), Basile Audoly (University Paris 6 and CNRS)
Instability in Solids and Structures
Mon 10:45 - 12:15
Barus-Holley 190
We explore the oft-neglected role of intrinsic natural curvature on the mechanics of elastic rods. Our testbed, a hanging hair, is a deceivingly simple system that exhibits complex mechanics and geometrically nonlinear behavior. By taking advantage of rapid prototyping and manufacturing techniques, we are able to custom-fabricate silicone-based elastomeric rods with tunable stiffness and natural curvature. The experimentally observed behavior of our rods is captured well by simulations (using MANLAB - an interactive path-following and bifurcation analysis program). This behavior is then rationalized through scaling arguments. By linking precision desktop-scale experiments, numerical simulations, and theoretical analysis, we seek physical insight into the nontrivial configurations adopted by a naturally curved elastic rod that is suspended under its own weight. In particular, we aim to gain predictive understanding of the planar to non-planar solutions as well as the localization of torsion in the non-planar configurations.