Current professional background:
Academic of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Principal Research Scientist at the Institute of Geophysics, Tbilisi State University, and a Principal Research Scientist at the Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory, Ilia State University.
Field of research:
Natural and engineering plasma and fluid dynamics;
Linear phenomena induced by shear flow non-normality;
Self-organization (including formation of spatiotemporal patterns) and turbulence in hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic shear flow systems;
Aeroacoustics of turbulent shear flows.
Purpose of your last research visit:
The purpose of my research visits is the investigation of aerodynamic sound generation (aeroacoustics) which is a major subject of fluid dynamics, with applications in wide areas of engineering problems, such as aircraft jet engines, naval and automotive applications. The emission of noise from mixing processes and turbulence of engineering flows is to be reduced owing to modern regulations, which require a substantial reduction of the perceived sound levels. Working on this problem, we based our study on the rethinking of non-uniform/shear flow dynamics by the hydrodynamic stability community in 1990s. This approach, formed as a result of this rethinking, led to a breakthrough in the understanding and description of turbulence in different natural and engineering shear flows. Specifically, we adapted this trend of research to the aerodynamic sound generation in time-developing shear layers.
Relation to the University of Siegen and/or to the local host:
I have joint research and publications with Prof. Holger Foysi and Dr. George Khujadze where a new scheme of turbulence control is elaborated on the example of plane Couette flow. Our scientific interests also coincide in the field of aeroacoustics of shear flow systems. In my opinion the collaboration is quite productive and our perspective is to get closer to engineering flows.
Future projects / Activities:
Our future plans naturally follow from our efforts in the past and present. At first, we are planning to work on the control of the aerodynamic sound generation in time-developing shear layers. We also wish to apply the elaborated scheme of turbulence control to flows of practical interests, for instance, – to boundary layer flows
Impressions of Siegen:
Siegen is a pleasant city, very convenient for people who are visiting with a goal similar to mine: to live quietly and concentrate on science. However, it would be better if there were more guest house apartments at the University.