US-Austria Cooperative Research: Characterization of Air Currents in Relation to the Sensory Physiology and Behavior of Spiders

加州大学伯克利分校的约瑟夫·a·汉弗莱博士和奥地利维也纳大学的f·g·巴特博士就“气流特征与蜘蛛的感觉生理和行为的关系”提出了一项建议，是由美国国家科学基金会和奥地利FWF联合批准的美奥合作科学项目。主要研究人员提出了一项为期一年的研究计划，以调查影响猎物捕获和蜘蛛“气球”现象的宏观流体力学观察结果，以及这些与空气运动-感受器相互作用的微观方面的关系。这项工作的高度跨学科性质结合了维也纳的“动物学”专业知识和伯克利的“工程学”专业知识，以推进感官生理学的知识。在伯克利的工作将解决与行为相关的空气运动的测量和物理数学建模。刺激和维持气球活动的流动特征，以及猎物捕获，将在一个特别建造的仪器中使用激光多普勒风速测量和流动可视化技术进行实验确定。规定速度场的时间历史、平均值和频谱频率测定将使研究人员能够阐明引发这些活动的流的特征。理论工作将集中于提高对这种流动的速度和压力详细分布的基本认识、模型和数值可预测性。特别是，汉弗莱在一篇开创性的论文中提出的各种假设ı1987！关于气球的话题将被严格检查。封闭形式的理论分析也将被执行，以模拟单一或成群的毛癣菌对气流自然波动的反应。由此，就可以估计出使毛梳体偏转的力，以及偏转本身的大小和方向。进行这项研究所需的部分实验仪器（但不是仪器）和数值程序已经可用。通过必要的升级和调整，它们都可以应用于这里和相关生物流体力学领域的一系列感兴趣的问题。这项工作的意义在于实验和理论发现将对感觉生理学和生物力学领域产生影响。

This proposal on "Characterization of Air Currents in Relation to the Sensory Physiology and Behavior of Spiders" between Dr. Joseph A. Humphrey of the University of California at Berkeley and Dr. F.G. Barth of the University of Wien, Austria, is jointly approved by NSF and the FWF of Austria under the US-Austria Cooperative Science Program. The principal investigators propose a one-year program of research to investigate macroscopic fluid mechanic observables affecting prey capture and the "ballooning" phenomena in spiders and the relation of these to microscopic aspects of air motion-sensilla interactions. The highly interdisciplinary nature of this work combines the "zoological" expertise in Vienna and "engineering" expertise in Berkeley to advance knowledge in sensory physiology. Work in Berkeley will address the measurement and physico-mathema- tical modelling of the air motions relevant to behavior. The characteristics of the flows that stimulate and maintain the ballooning activity, as well as prey capture, will be experimentally determined in an especially constructed apparatus using laser-Doppler anemometry and flow visualization techniques. Time histories, averages and spectral frequency determinations of prescribed velocity fields will allow the investigators to elucidate the characteristics of the flows that elicit these activities. Theoretical work will focus on improving the fundamental under- standing, models and numerical predictability of the detailed distributions of velocity and pressure of such flows. In particular, various hypotheses advanced in a seminal paper by Humphrey ı1987! on the subject of ballooning will be rigorously checked. Closed form theoretical analysis will also be performed to model the response of the trichobothria sensilla, single or in groups, to natural fluctuations in the air flow. From this, estimates will be obtained of the forces that deflect the trichobothria, as well as the magnitudes and directions of the deflections themselves. Part of the experimental instrumentation (but not the apparatus) and the numerical procedures required to undertake this research are already available. With the necessary upgrades and adaptations they can both be applied to a range of problems of interest here and in related bio-fluid mechanics fields. The significance of this work lies in the impact that the experimental and theoretical findings will have in the fields of sensory physiology and biomechanics.