Thomas Sykes

Tom Sykes is a Lecturer in Engineering at Wadham College, and a Postdoctoral Research Assistant in the Fluid Dynamics Laboratory of the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford.

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. 

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 attracted 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.

T.C. Sykes, A.A. Castrejón-Pita, J.R. Castrejón-Pita, D. Harbottle, Z. Khatir, H.M. Thompson, M.C.T. Wilson (2020). Surface jets and internal mixing during the coalescence of impacting and sessile droplets. Phys. Rev. Fluids. 

T.C. Sykes, D. Harbottle, Z. Khatir, H.M. Thompson, M.C.T. Wilson (2020). Substrate wettability influences internal jet formation and mixing during droplet coalescence. Langmuir.

K.H. Al-Dirawi, K.H.A. Al-Ghaithi, T.C. Sykes, J.R. Castrejón-Pita, A.E. Bayly (2021). Inertial stretching separation in binary droplet collisions. J. Fluid Mech.