Biography
Dr Sykes is a Royal Society funded postdoctoral research assistant in fluid dynamics, working with Alfonso A. Castrejón-Pita in the Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. Before moving to Oxford, he completed an undergraduate Mathematics degree (BSc, Leeds, 2016), followed by an integrated PhD and MSc at the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Fluid Dynamics at the University of Leeds in 2020. His work has been published as articles in several leading peer-reviewed journals, which have attached the attention of international popular and scientific media outlets (e.g. Popular Mechanics, FY Fluid Dynamics, Bioengineer.org). Please feel free to contact Tom to discuss any aspect of his work.
Research Interests
Tom's research focuses on various aspects of fluid dynamics, especially multiphase flows with free surfaces, specialising in droplet dynamics (coalescence, splashing, mixing, breakup, collisions, etc.), interfaces and complex fluids (colloids, surfactants). He adopts a highly-interdisciplinary approach to research, utilising a range of techniques including numerical simulations, laboratory (high-speed camera) experiments and mathematical modelling, usually in combination. Specific application areas of interest include microfluidics, inkjet and biomaterial printing, additive manufacture, aerosols (especially generation), infectious disease transmission (airborne and droplet) and environmentally-friendly crop sprays.
Examples of past and current research include:
- Internal flows in coalescing droplets (PhD thesis);
- Droplet splashing;
- Sedimentation of colloidal suspensions (MSc thesis);
- Binary droplet collisions.
Research Groups
Related Academics
Recent Publications
Droplet splashing on curved substrates
Sykes TC, Fudge BD, Quetzeri-Santiago MA, Castrejón-Pita JR & Castrejón-Pita AA (2022), Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
BibTeX
@article{dropletsplashin-2022/1,
title={Droplet splashing on curved substrates},
author={Sykes TC, Fudge BD, Quetzeri-Santiago MA, Castrejón-Pita JR & Castrejón-Pita AA},
journal={Journal of Colloid and Interface Science},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2022"
}
Electrophoretic molecular communication with time-varying electric fields
Cho S, Sykes T, Coon J & Castrejon Pita A (2021), Nano Communication Networks, 31
BibTeX
@article{electrophoretic-2021/11,
title={Electrophoretic molecular communication with time-varying electric fields},
author={Cho S, Sykes T, Coon J & Castrejon Pita A},
journal={Nano Communication Networks},
volume={31},
number={100381},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2021"
}
Inertial stretching separation in binary droplet collisions
Al-Dirawi KH, Al-Ghaithi KHA, Sykes T, Castrejón-Pita JR & Bayly AE (2021), Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 927
BibTeX
@article{inertialstretch-2021/9,
title={Inertial stretching separation in binary droplet collisions},
author={Al-Dirawi KH, Al-Ghaithi KHA, Sykes T, Castrejón-Pita JR & Bayly AE},
journal={Journal of Fluid Mechanics},
volume={927},
number={A9},
publisher={Cambridge University Press},
year = "2021"
}
Electrophoretic Molecular Communication with Time-Varying Electric Fields
Cho S, Sykes TC, Coon JP & Castrejón-Pita AA (2021)
BibTeX
@misc{electrophoretic-2021/3,
title={Electrophoretic Molecular Communication with Time-Varying Electric
Fields},
author={Cho S, Sykes TC, Coon JP & Castrejón-Pita AA},
year = "2021"
}
Substrate Wettability Influences Internal Jet Formation and Mixing during Droplet Coalescence
Sykes TC, Harbottle D, Khatir Z, Thompson HM & Wilson MCT (2020), Langmuir, 36(32), 9596-9607
BibTeX
@article{substratewettab-2020/8,
title={Substrate Wettability Influences Internal Jet Formation and Mixing during Droplet Coalescence},
author={Sykes TC, Harbottle D, Khatir Z, Thompson HM & Wilson MCT},
journal={Langmuir},
volume={36},
pages={9596-9607},
publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)},
year = "2020"
}
Surface jets and internal mixing during the coalescence of impacting and sessile droplets
Sykes TC, Castrejon-Pita A, Castrejon-Pita JR, Harbottle D, Khatir Z et al. (2020), Physical Review Fluids, 5
BibTeX
@article{surfacejetsandi-2020/2,
title={Surface jets and internal mixing during the coalescence of impacting and sessile droplets},
author={Sykes TC, Castrejon-Pita A, Castrejon-Pita JR, Harbottle D, Khatir Z et al.},
journal={Physical Review Fluids},
volume={5},
number={023602},
publisher={American Physical Society},
year = "2020"
}
Surface jets and internal mixing during the coalescence of impacting and sessile droplets
Sykes TC, Castrejón-Pita AA, Castrejón-Pita JR, Harbottle D, Khatir Z et al. (2020)
BibTeX
@misc{surfacejetsandi-2020/2,
title={Surface jets and internal mixing during the coalescence of impacting and
sessile droplets},
author={Sykes TC, Castrejón-Pita AA, Castrejón-Pita JR, Harbottle D, Khatir Z et al.},
year = "2020"
}
Numerical and experimental analysis of the sedimentation of spherical colloidal suspensions under centrifugal force
Antonopoulou E, Rohmann-Shaw CF, Sykes TC, Cayre OJ, Hunter TN et al. (2018), Physics of Fluids, 30(3)
BibTeX
@article{numericalandexp-2018/2,
title={Numerical and experimental analysis of the sedimentation of spherical colloidal suspensions under centrifugal force},
author={Antonopoulou E, Rohmann-Shaw CF, Sykes TC, Cayre OJ, Hunter TN et al.},
journal={Physics of Fluids},
volume={30},
number={030702},
publisher={American Institute of Physics},
year = "2018"
}
Intersymbol interference for electrophoretic molecular communication in circular duct channels
Cho S, Coon J, Thomas S & Castrejon-Pita A (0), IEEE Communications Letters
BibTeX
@article{intersymbolinte-/,
title={Intersymbol interference for electrophoretic molecular communication in circular duct channels},
author={Cho S, Coon J, Thomas S & Castrejon-Pita A},
journal={IEEE Communications Letters},
publisher={IEEE}
}
