G.K. Batchelor Laboratory
History
The G. K. Batchelor Fluid Dynamics Laboratory was established in 1964 in the basement of the Old Press Site building in Silver Street.
George Batchelor had studied under Sir G. I. Taylor, regarded as the father of modern fluid mechanics in the Cavendish Laboratory. Under GI’s tutelage George realised that laboratory experiments were a critical component of research in fluid mechanics. After DAMTP was founded in 1959 George argued that the department needed a laboratory. Against significant opposition from the others in the university, George prevailed and established the first fluid mechanics laboratory in a mathematics department.
The photograph shows GI with his research group including George Batchelor and Stewart Turner, who was the Director of the laboratory from 1970 - 1975, in 1955.
The laboratory moved to its present expanded
site in the Centre for Mathematical Sciences
in 2005.
Director
