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Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

Career

Oct. 90 - Present: Assistant Lecturer, then Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer, University of Cambridge

Oct. 11 - Present: Bye-Fellow and Director of Studies, Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Oct. 90 - Sept. 98: Fellow and Director of Studies, Selwyn College, Cambridge

Oct. 85 - Sept. 90: Lecturer, Imperial College London

Oct. 83 - Sept. 85: Lecturer, University College London

Oct. 82 - Sept. 83: Research Fellow, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge

Oct. 81 - Sept. 82: Research Fellow & Fulbright Scholar, Northwestern University

Jan. 81 - Sept. 81: Research Fellow, Selwyn College, Cambridge

Short and medium term visitor to the University of Brasilia, Caltech, Cornell University, Imperial College, NASA Langley, NASA Lewis, Ohio State University, Oxford University, the University of Michigan, Monash University, Moscow State University and PUC-Rio.

Qualifications

  • BA Mathematics (1977), University of Cambridge
  • Part III Mathematics (1978), MMath (2011), University of Cambridge
  • MA (1980), University of Cambridge
  • PhD (1981), University of Cambridge

Research

My research  centres around asymptotic descriptions of high-Reynolds-number (i.e. fast) fluid flows, such as occur in flows past aircraft wings/fuselages, space shuttles, turbine blades, ships, cars and other transport, and as also occur in the larger blood vessels.  Specifically I have been interested in separation/stall, the growth of instabilities leading to turbulence (i.e. transition to turbulence), the validity of the high-Reynolds-number approximation, and vortex-sheet roll-up.

Teaching

I have taught a range of courses in the Mathematical and Natural Science Triposes, including Vectors & Matrices (Part IA, previously Algebra & Geometry), Methods & Calculus (Part IA, now Vector Calculus), Numerical Analysis (both Part IB and Part II), Waves (Part II), High-Reynolds-Number Flows (Part III), Computational Methods in Fluid Dynamics (Part III), Perturbation Methods (Part III, and in a number guises) and Mathematical Methods (NST Part IB). I was the Director of CATAM from 2008-2014 (for my sins).

Other Internal Activities

I was an elected member of the University's Council (2007-14, 2017-20) and, inter alia, served on the University's Finance, HR, Resource Management, Planning & Resources and Business Committees. I was also an appointed member of the Council of the School of Physical Sciences (2008-14, 2017-20), and an elected member of the University's Board of Scruitiny (2001-05).

I was Chair of the Faculty of Mathematics (2011-2014).

External Activities

I have served on EPSRC grant and evaluation committees.

Publications

Changing practices
SJ Cowley
(2022)
19
Towards a science of the artificially organized
SJ Cowley, R Gahrn-Andersen, D Secchi
(2022)
283
Setting the Scene
R Gahrn-Andersen, D Secchi, SJ Cowley
(2022)
1
Cognitive cross-over
SJ Cowley, J Kirkeby
(2022)
239
On the formation of small-time curvature singularities in vortex sheets
MA Page, SJ Cowley
– IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics
(2018)
83,
188
On the catalytic effect of resonant interactions in boundary layer transition
XS Wu, PA Stewart, SJ Cowley
– PROGRESS IN INDUSTRIAL MATHEMATICS AT ECMI 2006
(2008)
12,
146
On the catalytic role of the phase-locked interaction of Tollmien–Schlichting waves in boundary-layer transition
XS Wu, PA Stewart, SJ Cowley
– Journal of Fluid Mechanics
(2007)
590,
265
A mathematical model of vulcanian eruptions
DL TURCOTTE, H OCKENDON, JR OCKENDON, SJ COWLEY
– Geophysical Journal International
(2007)
103,
211
Breakdown of boundary layers: (i) on moving surfaces; (ii) in semi-similar unsteady flow; (iii) in fully unsteady flow
JW ELLIOTT, FT SMITH, SJ COWLEY
– Geophysical & Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics
(2006)
25,
77
On the weakly nonlinear development of Tollmien-Schlichting wavetrains in boundary layers
XS Wu, PA Stewart, SJ Cowley
– Journal of Fluid Mechanics
(2006)
323,
133
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