RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research interest is in the field of stability of fluid flows, mainly boundary layers, with the aim being to understand more fully the transition process from a laminar flow to a turbulent one. I use linear and nonlinear stability theory and employ asymptotic and numerical methods to solve the governing partial differential equations for the perturbation quantities. My current interests include rotating flows, hypersonic flows and wake-dominated curved mixing layers.
SELECTED
MacKerrell, S. O., Blennerhassett, P. J. and Bassom, A. P. 2002 Görtler vortices in the Rayleigh layer on an impulsively started cylinder. Phys. Fluids 14, (9), 2948-56.
MacKerrell, S. O. 2005 Stability of Bödewadt flow. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 363, 1181-1187.
Stephen, S. O. 2006 Nonlinear instability of hypersonic flow over a cone. Q. Jl. Mech. Appl. Math, 59 (2), 301-319.
John, J.-A. L. and Stephen, S. O. 2007 The stability of the boundary layer on a compliant rotating disc. IMA J. Appl Math, 72(6), 761-784.