Dr. Roger Ayats

Assistant Professor of Fluid Mechanics

Polytechnic University of Catalonia – BarcelonaTech

DF-GeoTech (Fluid Dynamics and Geophysical and Technological Applications)

I am a researcher in Fluid Dynamics, primarily interested in the transition from laminar to turbulent flow in wall-bounded shear flows. My recent work focuses on intermittency phenomena, characterized by the spatio-temporal coexistence of laminar and turbulent regions. I am also deeply interested in the computation and analysis of Exact Coherent Structures (ECS), which serve as precursors or building blocks of chaotic attractors and turbulence.

My main interest in turbulence comes from my Aeronautical Engineering background, where a turbulent boundary layer results in structural stresses, vibrations and higher aircraft drag, leading to a significant increase in fuel consumption. Therefore, trying to comprehend the origin of turbulence by studying its most common transition routes is a crucial first step towards its effective control.

In addition, I study extensional and viscoelastic flows by exploring their unique dynamical behaviors. More details about my research can be found on the Projects page.

I investigate these phenomena within the framework of dynamical systems and bifurcation theory, employing numerical simulations as a primary tool. My expertise includes optimization and spectral methods, hydrodynamic stability analysis, Newton solvers, homotopy continuation schemes, and Arnoldi-based stability analyses, among other computational techniques.