J. Thomas Beale
- Center for Theoretical & Mathematical Sciences
- 217 Physics
- Campus Box 90320
- Phone: (919) 660-2839
- Fax: (919)660-2821
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Specialties
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Research Summary
Partial Differential Equations and Fluid Mechanics -
Research Description
Much of my work has to do with incompressible fluid flow, especially qualitative properties of solutions and behavior of numerical methods, using analytical tools of partial differential equations. Recently I have developed a general method for the numerical computation of singular integrals, such as layer potentials on a curve or surface, evaluated at a point on or near the layer (partly with M.-C. Lai). A standard quadrature is used for a regularized integral on overlapping coordinate grids with analytical corrections. In work with J. Strain we have applied this approach to Stokes flow with a moving elastic interface. A recent paper with A. Layton gives an analytical explanation, with applications, of the observed gain in order of accuracy in certain finite difference methods for computing boundary value problems with irregular boundaries using only regular grids (A. Mayo's method or the immersed interface method of R. LeVeque and Z. Li). Related projects include computation of unstable fluid interfaces (with G. Baker) and the design of a boundary integral method for 3-D water waves which is numerically stable and proved to converge; the discretization of potentials on a moving surface is a central issue.
