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Mikami Lab
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The lab investigates the intriguing flows of complex fluids that have viscoelasticity.
AboutAbout the lab
Flows that ordinary fluids never show.
The Mikami Lab studies the fluid dynamics of "complex fluids" such as polymer fluids and aqueous solutions of surfactant micelles.
Viscoelastic fluids, which have both elasticity and viscosity, show flows that are not seen in simple fluids such as water and air.
The lab conducts experiments using viscoelastic fluids such as aqueous solutions of wormlike micelles, and observes the flow in detail with image velocimetry and birefringence imaging.
By comparing numerical simulations with experiments, the lab also deepens its understanding from the theoretical side.
Key terms
- Viscoelastic fluid
- A fluid that shows both rubber-like elasticity and syrup-like stickiness (viscosity)
- Shear wave
- A wave that travels through a fluid while oscillating perpendicular to its direction of travel
- Deborah number
- A measure of how well a fluid can keep up with deformation. The larger it is, the more the fluid behaves like a solid
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies viscoelastic fluids flowing around objects. Fluids widely used in everyday life, such as molten plastics, cosmetics, foods, printing inks, and turbulent drag-reducing agents, show unusual flow phenomena that are not seen in ordinary fluids.
*Illustrative imageShear waves and flow
The lab investigates shear waves, which propagate as transverse waves through viscoelastic fluids. In dilute solutions the propagation speed is relatively slow, so an object can move faster than the waves, and the flow field changes greatly, for example with a Mach cone forming around a sinking sphere.
*Illustrative imageChange in type of the governing equations
The speed at which shear waves spread is determined by the viscoelastic Mach number, which in turn determines the type of the equations governing the flow. Vorticity is transported diffusively when the Deborah number is small and in a wave-like manner when it is large, and the lab proposes including the Deborah number as a parameter in addition to the Mach number.
*Illustrative imageAnalogy with magnetohydrodynamics
Noting that the governing equations for plasma flow in space resemble those for viscoelastic fluid flow, the lab builds models based on the magnetohydrodynamic picture. This is a new approach that brings knowledge from astrophysical fluid dynamics into the field.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Mikami Lab are the faculty and students in the master's and undergraduate programs.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorFumihiko Mikami
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “COLOR IMAGE OF THE FLOW VISUALIZATION RIG - BLACK & WHITE IMAGE OF DIFFUSER EXPERIMENT RIG - NARA - 17448952” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Shear waves and flow: “FLOW VISUALIZATION RIG - NARA - 17425527” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Change in type of the governing equations: “VortexStreet01” Gary Koopman / Public domain (cropped)
- Analogy with magnetohydrodynamics: “Solar Eruption” NASA/SDO / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Biomechanical Engineering Lab): “061 Wild Bumblebee in flight pollinating with Crocus Parc naturel régional Jura vaudois Photo by Giles Laurent” Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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- Related lab ((Symbiotic 11) Analytical Chemistry Lab): “PDW Measurement Dispersion Red Light” Skilbride21 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Catalytic Chemistry Lab): “CataylstExampleSulfuricAcidPlant” PennyBrowns23651 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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