Grandes déformations d’interfaces/Large interface deformation – DEFORMATION

This project aims at understanding (for prediction, model and control purposes) the fundamental physical mechanisms driving large interface deformation in situations of broad interest. Large interface deformations are observed in a wide variety of fundamental physical problems (drop impact, granular impact, elastocapillary deformation, fluid-structure interactions') as well as in practical problems encountered in industry or geophysics. Ink-jet printing, soil erosion by rain, processing of raw material in industry, pesticide delivery, coking in combustion chambers, crater formation, deformation of rods/membranes in MEMS are few examples among many. The idea of the project is to gather young scientists experts in different physics fields (granular media, singularity formation, elasticity') so as to structure a young transverse team and promote the exchange of ideas across the disciplines. Idealized problems/paradigms with simple experiments, numerical simulations and theory will be considered along three major axes : 1. Impact and dynamics of liquid/gas interfaces, 2. Impact and deformation of thin elastic and viscous bodies, 3. Impact of disordered media : deformation of granular interfaces. The final objective is to promote the emergence of a new research activity at the Institut d'Alembert and shed new light/perspectives on fundamental problems of large interface deformation as well.