Low-Reynolds-number fluid dynamics: applications to hindered fluid and particle transport

The objective of this book is to provide the readers with a theoretical background involving dynamics of confined viscous flows as well as its effect on particle diffusion and convection based on my research experience for the last fourteen years. Fluid dynamics is a branch of mechanics concerned with the relationship between dynamic motions of flows of fluids, substances that continuously deform under the applied shear stress, and the presented forces. If the length scale of the system of interest is much larger than the size of the fluid molecules, the fluid is viewed from a macroscopic point of view and is considered to be a “continuum”, a continuous mass rather than discrete molecules, and, if the fluid velocity is much lower than the speed of light, the study of behaviors of flows within such system is referred to as classical fluid dynamics, a subfield of continuum mechanics. Although not traditionally included in classical mechanics, one of the core courses for physics majors in all undergraduate and graduate-level curriculums, classical fluid dynamics is still important and useful as it has applications in many research areas in physics such as geophysics, plasma physics, and physics of biological systems in addition to various additional fields including biotechnology, biochemistry, and engineering.