Skip to main content
Menu
Thomas Sykes

Dr

Thomas Sykes

Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Fluid Dynamics

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.

Personal website
Google Scholar

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

Effect of surfactants on the splashing dynamics of drops impacting smooth substrates

Varghese N, Sykes TC, Quetzeri-Santiago MA, Castrejón-Pita AA & Castrejón-Pita JR (2024), Langmuir, 40(17), 8781-8790

Altmetric score is
BibTeX View PDF
@article{effectofsurfact-2024/3,
  title={Effect of surfactants on the splashing dynamics of drops impacting smooth substrates},
  author={Varghese N, Sykes TC, Quetzeri-Santiago MA, Castrejón-Pita AA & Castrejón-Pita JR},
  journal={Langmuir},
  volume={40},
  pages={8781-8790},
  publisher={American Chemical Society},
  year = "2024"
}

Simulation of bidisperse colloidal centrifugal sedimentation using a mixture viscosity model

Chen H, Sykes T, Kivan O, Jia X, Fairweather M et al. (2023), Physics of Fluids, 35(12)

Altmetric score is
BibTeX View PDF
@article{simulationofbid-2023/12,
  title={Simulation of bidisperse colloidal centrifugal sedimentation using a mixture viscosity model},
  author={Chen H, Sykes T, Kivan O, Jia X, Fairweather M et al.},
  journal={Physics of Fluids},
  volume={35},
  number={123306},
  publisher={AIP Publishing},
  year = "2023"
}

Simulation of bidisperse colloidal centrifugal sedimentation using a mixture viscosity model

Chen H, Sykes TC, Kivan O, Jia X, Fairweather M et al. (2023), Physics of Fluids, 35(12)

Altmetric score is
BibTeX View PDF
@article{simulationofbid-2023/12,
  title={Simulation of bidisperse colloidal centrifugal sedimentation using a mixture viscosity model},
  author={Chen H, Sykes TC, Kivan O, Jia X, Fairweather M et al.},
  journal={Physics of Fluids},
  volume={35},
  year = "2023"
}

Droplet impact dynamics on shallow pools

Sykes T, Cimpeanu R, Fudge B, Castrejon-Pita JR & Castrejon Pita A (2023), Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 970

Altmetric score is
BibTeX View PDF
@article{dropletimpactdy-2023/9,
  title={Droplet impact dynamics on shallow pools},
  author={Sykes T, Cimpeanu R, Fudge B, Castrejon-Pita JR & Castrejon Pita A},
  journal={Journal of Fluid Mechanics},
  volume={970},
  number={A34},
  publisher={Cambridge University Press (CUP)},
  year = "2023"
}

On-demand pitch tuning of printed chiral nematic liquid crystal droplets

Kamal W, Orr A, Sykes T, Castrejon-Pita A, Elston S et al. (2023), Materials Today Advances, 19

Altmetric score is
BibTeX View PDF
@article{ondemandpitchtu-2023/8,
  title={On-demand pitch tuning of printed chiral nematic liquid crystal droplets },
  author={Kamal W, Orr A, Sykes T, Castrejon-Pita A, Elston S et al.},
  journal={Materials Today Advances},
  volume={19},
  number={100416},
  publisher={Elsevier},
  year = "2023"
}

Droplet impact dynamics on shallow pools

Sykes TC, Cimpeanu R, Fudge BD, Castrejon-Pita JR & Castrejon-Pita AA (2023), JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS, 970

Altmetric score is
BibTeX View PDF
@article{dropletimpactdy-2023/,
  title={Droplet impact dynamics on shallow pools},
  author={Sykes TC, Cimpeanu R, Fudge BD, Castrejon-Pita JR & Castrejon-Pita AA},
  journal={JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS},
  volume={970},
  number={ARTN A34},
  year = "2023"
}

Intersymbol interference for electrophoretic molecular communication in circular duct channels

Cho S, Coon J, Thomas S & Castrejon-Pita A (2022), IEEE Communications Letters, 26(10), 2307-2311

Altmetric score is
BibTeX View PDF
@article{intersymbolinte-2022/7,
  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},
  volume={26},
  pages={2307-2311},
  publisher={IEEE},
  year = "2022"
}

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, 615, 227-235

Altmetric score is
BibTeX View PDF
@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},
  volume={615},
  pages={227-235},
  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

Altmetric score is
BibTeX View PDF
@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

Altmetric score is
BibTeX View PDF
@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"
}
View all