The Fluid Mechanics Unit studies how substances flow, be it the turbulent churning of typhoons or oil streaming through a pipeline. The unit meticulously analyzes motion through soap films and pipes to learn crucial details of how energy disperses in two and three dimensions. Modeling these phenomena can help predict motion, enhance our response to adverse weather conditions, and improve the management of oil-pipeline networks.
Publications
L. Li and P. Chakraborty. 2022. Reply to: Landfalling hurricanes track modes and decay. Nature, vol. 606, E12-E15. PDF
T. Sabuwala, P. Chakraborty, and T. Shinbrot. 2021. Bennu and Ryugu: Diamonds in the sky. Granular Matter, vol. 23, article 81. (Cover Image.) PDF
K. Chola and P. Chakraborty. 2021. Symmetry analysis of the turbulent dissipation rate. Physical Review Fluids, vol. 6, article L082602. PDF
L. Li and P. Chakraborty. 2021. Birth of a cold core in tropical cyclones past landfall. Physical Review Fluids, vol. 6, article L051801. (Editors' Suggestion) PDF
A. Vilquin, J. Jagielka, S. Djambov, H. Herouard, P. Fisher, C-H Bruneau, P. Chakraborty, G. Gioia, and H. Kellay. 2021. Asymptotic turbulent friction in 2D rough-walled flows. Science Advances, vol. 7, no. 5, eabc6234. PDF
R. T. Cerbus, C-C. Liu, G. Gioia, and P. Chakraborty. 2020. Small-scale universality in the spectral structure of transitional pipe flows. Science Advances, vol. 6, no. 4, eaaw6256. PDF
R. T. Cerbus, J. Sakakibara, G. Gioia, and P. Chakraborty. 2020. The turbulent flow in a slug: a re-examination. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, vol. 883, article A13. PDF
T. Sabuwala, C. Butcher, G. Gioia, and P. Chakraborty. 2018. Ray systems in granular cratering. Physical Review Letters, vol. 120, article 264501. (Featured in Editors' Suggestion, PRL; Viewpoint, Physics, 27 June 2018; PNAS Journal Club, 13 July 2018; Astronomy Magazine, 2 August 2018; SYFY, 7 January 2019.) PDF
R. T. Cerbus, C-C. Liu, G. Gioia, and P. Chakraborty. 2018. Laws of resistance in transitional pipe flows. Physical Review Letters, vol. 120, article 054502. PDF
R. T. Cerbus and P. Chakraborty. 2017. The third-order structure function in two dimensions: The Rashomon effect. Physics of Fluids, vol. 29, article 111110. PDF
G. Gioia and P. Chakraborty. 2017. Spectral derivation of the classic laws of wall-bounded turbulent flows. Proceedings of the Royal Society A, vol. 473, article 2017034. PDF
T. Shinbrot, T. Sabuwala, T. Siu, M. V. Lazo, and P. Chakraborty. 2017. Size sorting on the rubble-pile asteroid Itokawa. Physical Review Letters, vol. 118, article 111101. (Cover Image; Featured in Editors' Suggestion, PRL; Focus story, Physics, 17 March 2017; Physics Today, 28 February 2017; The Guardian, 2 April 2017.) PDF
C-C. Liu, R. Cerbus, and P. Chakraborty. 2016. Janus spectra in two-dimensional flows. Physical Review Letters, vol. 117, article 114502. (Cover Image.) PDF
T. Sabuwala, G. Gioia, and P. Chakraborty. 2015. Effect of rainpower on hurricane intensity. Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 42, doi:10.1002/2015GL063785. PDF
C. Zuniga Zamalloa, H. C-H Ng, P. Chakraborty, and G. Gioia. 2014. Spectral analogues of the law of the wall, the defect law and the log law. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, vol. 757, pp. 498-513. PDF
D. Samanta, F. Ingremeau, R. Cerbus, T. Tran, W. I. Goldburg, P. Chakraborty, and H. Kellay. 2014. Scaling of near-wall flows in quasi-two-dimensional turbulent channels. Physical Review Letters, vol 113, article 024504. PDF
H. Kellay, T. Tran, W. Goldburg, N. Goldenfeld, G. Gioia, and P. Chakraborty. 2012. Testing a missing spectral link in turbulence. Physical Review Letters, vol. 109, article 254502. PDF
F. Huang, P. Chakraborty, C. C. Lundstrom, C. Holmden, J. J. G. Glessner, S. Kieffer, and C. E. Lesher. 2011. Reply to Brief Communications Arising: Isotope fractionation in silicate melts by thermal diffusion. Nature, vol. 472, pp. E2–E3, DOI: 10.1038/nature09955. PDF
G. Gioia, P. Chakraborty, S. F. Gary, C. Zuniga Zamalloa, and R. D. Keane. 2011. Residence time of buoyant objects in drowning machines. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 108, no. 16, pp. 6361-6363, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1015183108. (Featured in Research Highlights: Getting through a drowning machine, Nature, 472(9), 2011; PNAS Media Selections.) PDF
P. Chakraborty, T. Tran, and G. Gioia. 2011. Leading-order dynamics of gravity-driven flows in free-standing soap films. Journal of Elasticity, vol. 104, Issue 1, pp. 105-114, DOI: 10.1007/s10659-011-9317-6. (Invited paper.) PDF
G. Gioia, N. Guttenberg, N. Goldenfeld, and P. Chakraborty. 2010. Spectral theory of the turbulent mean-velocity profile. Physical Review Letters, vol. 105, article 184501. PDF
T. Tran, P. Chakraborty, N. Guttenberg, A. Prescott, H. Kellay, W. Goldburg, N. Goldenfeld, and G. Gioia. 2010. Macroscopic effects of the spectral structure in turbulent flows. Nature Physics, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 438-441. (Cover Image.) PDF
F. Huang∗, P. Chakraborty∗, C. C. Lundstrom, C. Holmden, J. J. G. Glessner, S. Kieffer, and C. E. Lesher. 2010. Isotope fractionation in silicate melts by thermal diffusion. Nature, vol. 464, no. 7287, pp. 396-400. (∗ equal contribution.) PDF
T. Tran, P. Chakraborty, G. Gioia, S. Steers, and W. Goldburg. 2009. Marangoni shocks in unobstructed soap-film flows. Physical Review Letters, vol. 103, article 104501. PDF
P. Chakraborty, G. Gioia, and S. Kieffer. 2009. Volcanic Mesocyclones. Nature, vol. 458, no. 7237, pp. 497-500. (Featured in New view on erupting volcanoes, Nature Hot Topics, 26 March 2009; Volcano or tornado?, Nature Podcast, 26 March 2009; Inside the volcanoes plume a thunderstorm rages, National Public Radio, 25 March 2009.) PDF
G. Gioia, P. Chakraborty, S. Marshak, and S. Kieffer. 2007. Unified model of tectonics and heat transport in a frigid Enceladus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 105, no. 34, pp. 13578-13581. (Cover Image; Featured in Physics Today, October 2007; This Week in PNAS, Saturn Moon’s geysers don’t need liquid water?, National Geographic News, 17 August 2007.) PDF
P. Chakraborty, S. Balachandar, and R. J. Adrian. 2007. Kinematics of Local Vortex Identification Criteria. Journal of Visualization, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 137-140. (Invited review paper; 10th Anniversary Issue.) PDF
G. Gioia, P. Chakraborty, and S. Kieffer. 2006. Lava channel formation via the viscoplastic indentation of hot substrates. Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 33, L19305. PDF
G. Gioia, P. Chakraborty, and F. Bombardelli. 2006. Rough-pipe flows and the existence of fully developed turbulence. Physics of Fluids, vol. 18, article 038107. PDF
P. Chakraborty, G. Gioia, and S. Kieffer. 2006. Volca ́n Reventador’s unusual umbrella. Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 33, L05313. (Featured in Research Highlights: Blowing its top, Nature, 440, 386, 2006; Editor’s Choice: Collapsing umbrella, Science, 311, 1675, 2006; Odd eruption may mean new volcano danger, National Geographic News, 15 March 2006.) PDF
P. Chakraborty, S. Balachandar, and R. J. Adrian. 2006. Comment on “Axial stretching and vortex definition”. Physics of Fluids, vol. 18, article 029101. PDF
G. Gioia and P. Chakraborty. 2006. Turbulent friction in rough pipes and the energy spectrum of the phenomenological theory. Physical Review Letters, vol. 96, article 044502. (Featured in New UI research looks into classic unsolved problem, Chicago Tribune, 2 April 2006; Turbulence - the last mystery of classical physics, Softpedia, 12 Feb 2006; etc.) PDF
P. Chakraborty, S. Balachandar, and R. J. Adrian. 2005. On the relationships between local vortex identification schemes. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, vol. 535, pp. 189-214. PDF
