Overview

My research interests have been centered on understanding the dynamics of field discontinuities and the transport of information across it. Common examples of such field discontinuities, in the context of fluid dynamics, are material/phase interfaces, vortex sheet, shock front, expansion wave and gravity wave. What draws me towards the study of discontinuities is that it is often accompanied by rapid changes in scales, multiphysics, geometrical complexities, and intriguing chemical phenomena making it an ideal benchmark to expand our knowledge beyond the confines of the bulk material. Determining the correct matching boundary conditions at these discontinuities is essential for accurate predictions, as these conditions govern the transfer of mass, momentum, and energy across it. Consequently, this understanding can aide in developing tools to manipulate the dynamics of its environment. For example, obtaining the correct boundary conditions is paramount to making accurate predictions of the vehicle speed, total drag, wake production and even acoustic noise. Furthermore, with the advent of nanotechnology and the ubiquity and miniaturization of electronic devices, an accurate understanding of the heat transfer at the boundary is essential in developing effective thermal management systems. The impact of obtaining the correct boundary conditions are not just limited to engineering applications, but it also finds use in biomedical applications and helps with improving our understanding of various environmental phenomena.