AASERT: Hydrodynamic Interaction Between Olfactory Antennae and Odor Plumes
Abstract
We trained graduate and undergraduate students by involving them in research elucidating ways in which the structure and the motions of olfactory antennae affect how they encounter the concentration distributions in turbulent odor plumes as they search for the source of an odor in ambient currents or waves. We learned that the designs and motions of olfactory antennules enhance their ability to take pulsatile odor samples that are temporally and spatially discrete from each other. In the turbulent water flow typical of shallow coastal habitats, odor plumes are characterized by complex swirls of narrow filaments of high concentration near the odor source, but wider filaments of lower concentration farther from the source. Antennules only sample this detailed structure when they flick.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 26, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA405369
Entities
People
- M. A. Koehl
Organizations
- University of California, Berkeley