Professor Francis Poulin uses mathematics to describe the physical world and then uses a variety of techniques to solve the equations to better understand the science. To date his research has focused on physical and biological oceanography and solar physics. Any fluid dynamical system can be subject to turbulence, and this most certainly includes the world’s oceans and the interior of stars. The dynamics of the jets, vortices, turbulence, and their interactions span a wide range of spatial and temporal scales and there is still much more that we need to better understand about the complexity of these systems.
Academic disciplines: physical oceanography, biological oceanography, solar physics
Application areas: Dynamics of ocean currents, planktonic ecosystems and the solar tachocline
Methods: Linear Stability Theory, computational fluid dynamics and mathematical modelling