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Thomas P Witelski, Associate Professor

Thomas P Witelski
Contact Info:
Office Location:  295 Physics Building
Office Phone:  00-1-(919) 660-2841
Email Address: send me a message
Web Page:  http://www.math.duke.edu/~witelski

Teaching (Fall 2008):

Teaching (Spring 2009):

Office Hours:

Tuesdays, 10:00-12:30 am or other times by email request
Education:

PhDCaltech1995
BS in Engineering, Summa Cum LaudeCooper Union School of Engineering1991
DiplomaStuyvesant High School, New York1987
Specialties:

Applied Math
Research Interests: Fluid Dynamics, Perturbation Methods, Asymptotic Analysis, Nonlinear Ordinary and Partial differential equations

My primary area of expertise is the solution of nonlinear ordinary and partial differential equations via perturbation methods. Using asymptotics along with a mixture of other applied mathematical techniques in analysis and scientific computing I study a broad range of applications in physical systems. Focuses of my work include problems in viscous fluid flow, industrial applications, flow in porous media, mathematical biology, and granular materials. Through my research I am working to extend the understanding of nonlinear diffusion processes in physical systems. Studying problems in a range of different fields has given me a unique opportunity to interact with a diverse set of collaborators and to transfer analytic techniques across the traditional boundaries that separate fields.

Areas of Interest:

Fluid dynamics
Partial differential equations
Asymptotics/Perturbation methods
Industrial and Applied mathematics

Current Ph.D. Students   (Former Students)

Postdocs Mentored

Undergraduate Researches Supervised

  • Man Lok Chow (September, 2007 - March, 2008)
    Thesis: The mathematics behind fluttering
    4th yr thesis in Mathematics, Oxford University 
  • Lingren Zhang (July, 2006 - September, 2006)
    Thesis: The Motion of Sets of Vortices
    Undergraduate summer research 
  • Qinzheng Tian (July, 2005 - September, 2005)
    Thesis: Simulation of Newtonian fluid fluid between rotating cylinders
    Undergraduate summer research 
Recent Publications   (More Publications)

  1. M. Aguareles, S. J. Chapman, T.P. Witelski, Interaction of spiral waves in the Complex Ginzburg-Landau equation, PRL, vol. 101 no. 224101 (2008) (doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.224101.) [e224101]
  2. S. T. Santillian, R. H. Plaut, T. P. Witelski, L. N. Virgin, Large oscillations of beams and columns including self-weight, International Journal of Nonlinear mechanics, vol. 43 (2008), pp. 761-771, ISSN 0020-7462
  3. M.B. Gratton and T.P. Witelski, Coarsening of dewetting thin films subject to gravity, Physical Review E, vol. 77 no. 016301 (2008), pp. 1--11 [e016301]
  4. A.J. Catlla, D.G. Schaeffer, T.P. Witelski, E. E. Monson, A. L. Lin, On spiking models for synaptic activity and impulsive differential equations, SIAM Review, vol. 50 no. 3 (2008), pp. 553-569 [553]
  5. David G. Schaeffer, Michael Shearer and T.P. Witelski, Boundary-value problems for hyperbolic PDE related to steady granular flow, Mathematics and Mechanics of Solids, vol. 12 no. 6 (2007), pp. 665-699 (DOI: 10.1177/1081286506067325.)
Recent Grant Support

  • FRG - Collaborative Research: New Challenges in the Dynamics of Thin Flims & Fluid Interfaces, National Science Foundation, DMS-02-44498, 2003/09-2006/08.      
  • CAREER Award, NSF, 2003/09.      
Conferences Organized

  • Euromech 490 Workshop: Dynamics and Stability of thin liquid films and slender jets, Organising Committee, September 19, 2007 - September 21, 2007  
  • Third Annual Graduate Student Mathematical Modeling Camp, Faculty Mentor, June 6, 2006 - June 9, 2006  
  • UCLA-IPAM-NSF workshop on Thin Films and Fluid Interfaces, Organizing Committee, January 30, 2006 - February 2, 2006  
  • MPI 2005-21th Annual Workshop on Mathematical Problems in Industry, Organizing Committee, June 13, 2005 - June 17, 2005  
  • MPI 2004-20th Annual Workshop on Mathematical Problems in Industry, Organizing Committee, June 21, 2004 - June 25, 2004  
  • First Annual Graduate Student Mathematical Modeling Camp, Mentor, June 15, 2004 - June 18, 2004  
  • Dynamics Days 2004, Local Organizing Committee + Webmaster, January 2004  
  • Nonlinear dynamics of thin films and fluid interfaces, Organizing Committee Member, November-December 2003  
  • MPI 2003-19th Annual Workshop on Mathematical Problems in Industry, Organizing Committee, June 2003  
  • MPI 2002-Eighteenth Annual Workshop on Mathematical Problems in Industry, Organizing Comittee, June 2002  
  • Nonlinear Differential Equations, Mechanics and Bifurcation 2002: A conference in honor of David G. Schaeffer, Member of organizing committee, 2001-02  
  • MPI 2001-Seventeenth Annual Workshop on Mathematical Problems in Industry, Organizing Committee, June 2001  
  • Minisymposium MS1:Instabilities and Breakdown of Asymptotic Models inContinuum Mechanics, SIAM Conference on Materials Science 2000, Co-Organizer, with Mary Pugh (U-Penn), May 2000  
Journal editorial boards Other Activities

dept@math.duke.edu
ph: 919.660.2800
fax: 919.660.2821

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Durham, NC 27708-0320
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