Computational physics is the study and implementation of numerical analysis to solve problems in physics for which a quantitative theory already exists. Historically, computational physics was the first application of modern computers in science, and is now a subset of computational science. It is sometimes regarded as a subdiscipline of theoretical physics, but others consider it an intermediate branch between theoretical and experimental physics - an area of study which supplements both theory and experiment.
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and data structures to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the free-stream flow of the fluid, and the interaction of the fluid with surfaces defined by boundary conditions. With high-speed supercomputers, better solutions can be achieved, and are often required to solve the largest and most complex problems. Ongoing research yields software that improves the accuracy and speed of complex simulation scenarios such as transonic or turbulent flows. Initial validation of such software is typically performed using experimental apparatus such as wind tunnels. In addition, previously performed analytical or empirical analysis of a particular problem can be used for comparison. A final validation is often performed using full-scale testing, such as flight tests.
Computational science, also known as scientific computing or scientific computation (SC), is a field in mathematics that uses advanced computing capabilities to understand and solve complex problems. It is an area of science that spans many disciplines, but at its core, it involves the development of models and simulations to understand natural systems.
Applied mechanics is the branch of science concerned with the motion of any substance that can be experienced or perceived by humans without the help of instruments. In short, when mechanics concepts surpass being theoretical and are applied and executed, general mechanics becomes applied mechanics. It is this stark difference that makes applied mechanics an essential understanding for practical everyday life. It has numerous applications in a wide variety of fields and disciplines, including but not limited to structural engineering, astronomy, oceanography, meteorology, hydraulics, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, nanotechnology, structural design, earthquake engineering, fluid dynamics, planetary sciences, and other life sciences. Connecting research between numerous disciplines, applied mechanics plays an important role in both science and engineering.
Fluid–structure interaction (FSI) is the interaction of some movable or deformable structure with an internal or surrounding fluid flow. Fluid–structure interactions can be stable or oscillatory. In oscillatory interactions, the strain induced in the solid structure causes it to move such that the source of strain is reduced, and the structure returns to its former state only for the process to repeat.
The Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by IOP Publishing. It is part of the Journal of Physics series and covers theoretical physics focusing on sophisticated mathematical and computational techniques. It was established in 1968 from the division of the earlier title, Proceedings of the Physical Society.
The Journal of Computational Chemistry is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published since 1980 by John Wiley & Sons. It covers research, contemporary developments in theory and methodology, and applications in all areas of computational chemistry, including ab initio quantum chemistry methods and semiempirical methods, density functional theory, molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, statistical mechanics, cheminformatics, biomolecular structure prediction, molecular design, and bioinformatics.
Thomas Joseph Robert Hughes is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and currently holds the Computational and Applied Mathematics Chair (III) at the Oden Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. Hughes has been listed as an ISI Highly Cited Author in Engineering by the ISI Web of Knowledge, Thomson Scientific Company.
Physics of Fluids is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering fluid dynamics, established by the American Institute of Physics in 1958, and is published by AIP Publishing. The journal focus is the dynamics of gases, liquids, and complex or multiphase fluids—and the journal contains original research resulting from theoretical, computational, and experimental studies.
The Journal of Computational Physics is a bimonthly scientific journal covering computational physics that was established in 1966 and is published by Elsevier. As of 2015, its editor-in-chief is Rémi Abgrall. According to the Journal Citation Reports, Journal of Computational Physics has a 2020 impact factor of 3.553, ranking it 6th out of 55 in the category Physics, Mathematical.
Satya Atluri is a world-renowned Indian-American engineer, educator, researcher and scientist in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering and computational sciences, who is currently the Presidential Chair & University Distinguished Professor at Texas Tech University. Since 1966, he made fundamental contributions to the development of finite element methods, boundary element methods, Meshless Local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) methods, Fragile Points Methods (FPM), Local Variational Iteration Methods, for general problems of engineering, solid mechanics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, flexoelectricity, ferromagnetics, gradient and nonlocal theories, nonlinear dynamics, shell theories, micromechanics of materials, structural integrity and damage tolerance, Orbital mechanics, Astrodynamics, etc.
Junuthula N. Reddy is a Distinguished Professor, Regents' Professor and inaugural holder of the Oscar S. Wyatt Endowed Chair in Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA. He is authoritative figure in the broad area of mechanics and one of the researchers responsible for the development of the Finite Element Method (FEM). He has made significant seminal contributions in the areas of finite element method, plate theory, solid mechanics, variational methods, mechanics of composites, functionally graded materials, fracture mechanics, plasticity, biomechanics, classical and non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, and applied functional analysis. Reddy has over 620 journal papers, 20 books, and has given numerous national and international talks. He has served as a member of International Advisory Committee at ICTACEM, 2001 and keynote addressing in 2014.
The moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method is a computational method for the simulation of incompressible free surface flows. It is a macroscopic, deterministic particle method developed by Koshizuka and Oka (1996).
The International Journal of Geometric Methods in Modern Physics is a peer-reviewed journal, published by World Scientific, covering mathematical physics. It was originally published bimonthly beginning in January 2004; as of 2006 it appears 8 times a year. Editorial policy for the journal specifies that "The journal publishes short communications, research and review articles devoted to the application of geometric methods to quantum field theory, non-perturbative quantum gravity, string and brane theory, quantum mechanics, semi-classical approximations in quantum theory, quantum thermodynamics and statistical physics, quantum computation and control theory."
The Archive of Applied Mechanics is a peer-reviewed scientific journal established in 1929 as Ingenieur-Archiv by R. Grammel. It obtained its current name in 1991 and is published by Springer. The journal covers research findings on the performance of construction materials. The editor in chief is Jörg Schröder.
Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering is a scholarly journal that provides a forum for spreading results of research and advanced industrial practice in computational engineering with particular emphasis on mechanics and its related areas. It publishes reviews presenting developments in computational engineering.
Jacob Fish is a researcher and professor in computational mechanics. He was the Rosalind and John J. Redfern Jr. Chaired Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and director of RPI's Multiscale Science and Engineering Center. He is currently the Robert A. W. and Christine S. Carleton Professor in Civil Engineering at Columbia University.
Barry H.V. Topping FIMA is a British authority on computational mechanics. He was Professor of Computational Mechanics at the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Heriot-Watt University where his work was mainly concerned with parallel computing, genetic algorithms, neural networks, finite element methods and fluid-structure interaction. He is now Emeritus Professor at Heriot-Watt University and an Honorary Professor at the University of Pécs in Hungary.
Rajat Mittal is a computational fluid dynamicist and a professor of mechanical engineering in the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He holds a secondary appointment in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is known for his work on immersed boundary methods (IBMs) and applications of these methods to the study of fluid flow problems.
Somnath Ghosh is the Michael G. Callas Chair Professor in the Department of Civil & Systems Engineering and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). He is the founding director of the JHU Center for Integrated Structure-Materials Modeling and Simulation (CISMMS) and was the director of an Air Force Center of Excellence in Integrated Materials Modeling (CEIMM). Prior to his appointment at JHU, Ghosh was the John B. Nordholt Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering at Ohio State University. He is a fellow of several professional societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
