Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU
Professor Rich Kerswell, University of Cambridge
Jordan Summers, Sub-Department Administrator: tpadmin@physics.ox.ac.uk
Abstract
I will give a brief introduction to the various new phenomena produced by introducing long-chain polymers into a simple (Newtonian) fluid like water. Then I’ll talk about recent progress trying to understand what can happen in 'straight’ shear flows where the elasticity introduced by the polymers was thought to be largely irrelevant. In particular, I’ll briefly discuss 'elasto-inertial’ turbulence and 'elastic’ turbulence (both discovered in the early 2010s), both of which differ from the usual (Newtonian) turbulence.
Biography
Rich Kerswell is a Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on fluid dynamics, particularly in the transition to turbulence, geophysical fluid flows, and nonlinear dynamics. Kerswell is known for studying how simple fluid systems can exhibit complex, chaotic behavior and has contributed to understanding turbulence's onset and sustainment in various contexts, including pipes and planetary atmospheres. His work integrates mathematical modeling, theoretical analysis, and computational simulations to explore instabilities and the fundamental mechanisms governing fluid behavior in nature and industry.