title: Settling and swimming of flexible fluid-lubricated foils.
abstract: We study the dynamics of a flexible foil immersed in a fluid and moving close to a rigid wall. Lubrication theory allows us to derive equations of motion for the foil and thus examine the passive settling and the active swimming of a foil. This also allows us to partly answer the long-standing question in cartoon physics--can carpets fly? Our analysis suggests a region in parameter space where one may realize this dream and move the virtual towards reality.
authors.affiliation: Université de Nice, Institut du Non-Linéaire de Nice, 1361 Routes des Lucioles, 06560 Valbonne, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argentina
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skotheim
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mahadevan