Katlyn Winter, George Mason University

Tear Film Evolution

Abstract: After each blink, a thin film covers the surface of the eye to prevent irritation of the eyelid rubbing on the eye. A condition called dry eye exists in which holes form in the film between blinks, resulting in irritation of the eye. Based off of research done by R. J. Braun and A. D. Fitt, the film is modeled using a series of partial differential equations. To begin, no outside effects such as evaporation or gravity were taken into account. A new evaporation model, based on the work of Ajaev and Homsy, will be incorporated into the thin film equation and examined in order to take these effects into account and to try to more closely approximate the films behavior. We shall make comparisons of the present model to the Braun-Fitt research.

Undergraduate Mentor: Dan Anderson (GMU)