Gina Cody School research team's photograph is a finalist in a national scientific photography contest
A photograph submitted by Concordia professor Muthukumaran Packirisamy and his research team was chosen as a finalist in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) national photography contest Science Exposed.
Packirisamy, postdoctoral fellow Mohsen Habibi and PhD student Shervin Foroughi submitted an image titled “Only the Sound Remains,” which captures his research on 3D printing called Direct Sound Printing.
It shows the process of cavitation, or the bubbles generated by sound waves inside a medium. Traditionally, cavitation is regarded as a destructive force in engineering, but it has been harnessed to produce new structures using Packirisamy’s Direct Sound Printing technology.
“Our research on Direct Sound Printing drew a lot of attention in the past year, but we have had little opportunity to show concrete examples of the technology to the public,” says Packirisamy who is a professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering at the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science.
“I am very excited that people outside of academic and research circles can now see a tangible example of what our work looks like.”
Packirisamy used a high-speed imaging method in combination with a shadowgraph technique to observe cavitation bubbles, and the Schlieren photography process for observing pressure waves.
Muthukumaran Packirisamy, professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering.
Groundbreaking research
Earlier this year, the novel research on Direct Sound Printing was nominated as one of the top 10 scientific discoveries of the year by Québec Science. The announcement drew media attention and was featured on various news outlets.
Science Exposed was created when NSERC partnered with Acfas five years after they founded their original French segment of the contest in 2010 called La preuve par l’image.
The contests are an opportunity for researchers to create, capture and share images that help share scientific knowledge with the public in a relatable way. A total of 40 images are carefully selected for both contests, half in the English segment and half in the French.
Two juries made up of experts in research and culture decide which photos move on as finalists. The finalist images are showcased publicly, including on the internet and in an exhibition.
The “Science Exposed” contest has now entered its public voting phase. The photo that receives the most votes from the public vote receive the People’s Choice Award of $2,000. There are also three jury prizes worth $2,000 each. The recipients of the four prizes will be announced by NSERC in October or November.
Vote for Packirisamy’s photo submission on NSERC’s website.
Learn more about Concordia’s Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science.
Explore the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering.
