Paul Dimotakis
Caltech
B.Sc., Physics - California Institute of Technology, 1968. M.Sc., Nuclear Engineering - California Institute of Technology, 1969. Ph.D., Applied Physics - California Institute of Technology, 1973.
Following his doctoral work on liquid helium and superfluidity, his research at Caltech has focused on investigations of turbulent-flow phenomena, with an emphasis on turbulent transport and mixing in liquid- and gas-phase, chemically-reacting as well as non-reacting flows, and combustion. This research has yielded several important results on turbulent entrainment and mixing in compessible and incompressible free-shear flows.In the course of this work, he and his co-workers have been responsible for the development of several experimental facilities, as well as diagnostic methods using lasers. He and his group have introduced advances in signal processing, high-speed digital temporal- and image-data acquisition techniques, high-speed CCD imager design, and image-data processing. His other research activities have included work on active control of separated flows, studies of cavitation, hydrodynamic stability and gasdynamic simulations, image-correlation techniques for velocity-field (optical-flow) measurement, aerooptics effects as well as work on adaptive optics.
In some of his work outside Caltech as a consultant, he has participated in the development of pilotless drones, high-power chemical lasers, the stealth fighter, contributed to the development of the Space Shuttle aerodynamics, assisted in the internal aerodynamics of sealed computer (Winchester) disks, helped with the fluid mechanics design of the "Leap-Frog fountain" at Disney's Epcot Center in Florida, and participated in experiments in the Lawrence Livermore Nova laser facility, as well as assisted with compressible and incompressible turbulence issues at Lawrence Livermore, in general. He recently served on the National Academy of Sciences committee that reviewed the US Inertial Confinement Fusion program. Also a sailor, he was a member of the America3 team and contributed to the sail design in their successful defense of the Americas Cup in 1992.
Paul Dimotakis received an ASCIT teaching award in 1994-95, has served as Associate Editor for the J. Fluid Mechanics, and is presently a Fellow of the American Physical Society and an Associate Fellow of the AIAA.