Jerry Gollub

The John and Barbara Bush Professorship in the Natural Sciences and Professor of Physics

Biography

Ph.D. (Physics) Harvard University
B.S. (Physics) Oberlin College

Research

Gollub's research is in the general area of Nonlinear Physics, which is concerned with the mesoscopic and macroscopic behavior of complex systems. Often these systems are described by nonlinear partial differential equations such as the Navier-Stokes equations of fluid motion. His group has conducted experimental work on the following topics over the years: hydrodynamic instabilities and the transition to chaos and turbulence in fluids; the morphology of growing crystals; the dynamics of nonlinear waves, turbulent convection induced by thermal gradients; thin film flows; and mixing in fluids. Current projects include problems related to spatiotemporal chaos, and particle dynamics in fluids, experiments involving microfluidic flows, and the dynamics of granular materials. Many Haverford students, postdoctoral associates, and visitors have participated in these projects.