ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Immersed boundary method

Imagine you are playing in a swimming pool, and there are some bigger objects in the pool, like rubber ducks or diving toys. You might want to push them or move them around, even though they are not part of your body, and when you move, it feels like they are slowing you down or creating some resistance.

Scientists who design and study things like air or water flow around objects need to solve similar problems, but instead of rubber ducks, they have shapes like cars, aeroplanes, or even cells and bacteria. They want to understand how things move and interact with fluids (like water or air) around them.

However, solving these equations or studying these problems can be very complicated and time-consuming, even for high-speed computers. Here comes the Immersed Boundary (IB) method to help us!

The IB method is like wearing a special suit in the pool, which makes it easier to push and pull different objects. It allows scientists to **quickly** study how air or water flows around objects without worrying about the exact shape, size, or position of the object itself.

So, instead of directly simulating the object, scientists use a simplified model of it that is much easier to simulate, and they 'embed' the object in a mathematical framework, like a grid. The object is represented as a collection of tiny bits or points that interact with the fluid using specific rules.

Then, as they run the simulation, they use the positions, shapes, and motions of these tiny bits to calculate the fluid flow and other properties around the object. The cool thing is that they can also easily change the shape, size, or position of the object, and the simulation can still run smoothly.

Overall, the IB methods help scientists to break down complex problems into smaller and simpler ones, saving time, and allowing them to study different scenarios and situations quickly, without worrying about the details. It is like wearing a suit that helps scientists and engineers to 'play' in the fluid and test different designs and prototypes for their real-life applications.