Physics of fluids refers to research in areas closer to applied physics than to direct technical applications. Present active research includes studies in gas dynamics and hypervelocity flows; diffraction and focusing of shock waves; detonation waves; shock-induced Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmeyer-Meshkov instabilities; transient supersonic jets; structures and mechanics in transition and turbulence; two-phase flows and turbulent mixing; combustion and flows with phase change; experimental manipulation and control of wall-bounded flows for improved flow characteristics, such as reduction of drag, noise, and structural loading; vortex dynamics; singularity formation and instabilities in microelectrofluidic flows; theory of non-normality and instability, and numerical simulation of flows at a range of Reynolds numbers; interface control for high order nonlinear systems.
