SIAM News: How the albatross optimizes long-range flight
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science graduate student Sameer Pokhrel and Sameh Eisa, an assistant professor of aerospace engineering, broke down the complicated physics behind the bird's graceful flight forĀ SIAM News, the science magazine for the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.
Albatrosses have enormous wings. The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird at 12 feet. They use these long wings to get lift on the ocean breeze.
According to Pokhrel and Eisa, albatrosses fly into the wind, gaining elevation through wind shear, or the increase in wind speed typically observed at higher elevations. They trade kinetic energy for potential energy during the climb.
When the bird's air speed slows, they execute a deft high-altitude turn and descend with a tail wind that propels them. During the descent, they trade the gained potential energy with kinetic energy to increase speed and momentum.
Latest UC News
- Spectrum News: How to reduce risks of security camera privacy invasionsIndividuals can take steps to protect themselves from privacy invasions, such as ones that led to a more than $5 million settlement with Ring, an Amazon-owned security company, Spectrum News reported.
- Local media cover $13.5 million gift benefiting ALS research and patient careA historic $13.5 million gift from the estate of Hugh H. Hoffman will revolutionize amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the ALS Multidisciplinary Clinic at the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute.
- New York Magazine: Does eating chocolate actually trigger migraines?The University of Cincinnati's Vincent Martin was featured in a New York Magazine/The Cut article discussing the lack of solid evidence that chocolate is a migraine trigger.
- UC launches new study of drinking waterThe University of Cincinnati is launching a new investigation at its groundwater observatory to examine the ways toxins from distant sources get into drinking water.
- Enquirer: Salacious testimony of 1929 murder at UC rare books libraryThe Cincinnati Enquirer highlights a rare book found in a University of Cincinnati library that chronicled a high-profile murder trial in 1929.
- UC Law celebrates the graduating class of 2024Information about the UC college of Law graduating class of 2024