Kumnit Nong, George Mason University


Thin Film Evolution Over Thin Porous Layers


Abstract: We study the simulated models of the aqueous layer on the pre-corneal tear films of a human eye. These models describe the behavior of fluid films with and without the inclusion of the permeable porous medium that models a contact lens. A fluid dynamic model for the thin fluid filmover thin porous layers is formulated by using a nonlinear fourth order partial differential equation with four boundary conditions and one initial condition. The evolution equations are solved numerically in Matlab in order to predict the effect of various parameters (at realistic values) on time of the thin films rupture. The results indicate that the presence of thin porous layers is a dominant effect and the different slip conditions at the liquid-lens boundary also have significant impact on thinning the thin aqueous layers. The computed numerical results allow us to predict film break up times for tear films on contact lens.

Advisor: Daniel M. Anderson (George Mason University)