Duncan Hewitt

Research Area

My research involves mathematical modelling and fluid mechanics, and I am interested in various problems related to complex ‘non-Newtonian’ fluids – particularly those with an inherent ‘cohesion’ or ‘yield strength’, geophysical flows including the mechanics of ice, lava and mud, transport through porous media and soft media (like soils), and the mechanics of granular media and suspensions.

My research always involves theoretical – mathematical – modelling, and this is often supplemented by numerical simulations and / or analogue laboratory experiments (we have a dedicated laboratory in DAMTP). I am in general interested in understanding the underlying physics of complex systems, and using this understanding to explain observable phenomena.

Project Interests

I am interested in developing various topics. One area concerns the (fluid) mechanics of hydrothermal circulation near mid-ocean ridges, in which convection of seawater transports heat from the mantle. There are many open questions about aspects of this process (e.g. ‘black smoker chimneys’). A second area concerns various poorly constrained volcanic processes like lava tube formation and evolution, and the “plumbing” of lava lake systems. Other areas of interest include damage/fracture models of flowing ice; modelling the long-term evolution of peat bogs as they grow, spread and drain; and the mechanics of granular media and wet suspensions.