Northumbria University has been awarded funding to host a month-long programme focusing on “Emergent Phenomena in Nonlinear Dispersive Waves” in August 2024. This prestigious Isaac Newton Institute (INI) Satellite Programme will bring together academics from Northumbria and Newcastle University to collaborate and exchange ideas on the topic.
The INI is an international visitor research institute based in Cambridge that runs research programmes on selected mathematical themes. It aims to push the boundaries of mathematical research and attract leading scientists from around the world. The satellite programme scheme specifically highlights the work of researchers and provides an opportunity for individual universities to showcase their expertise.
The decision to hold the event in Newcastle follows a successful six-month programme organized by Northumbria University’s Mathematics of Complex and Nonlinear Phenomena research group at the INI in 2022. The outcomes of that programme, including scientific discoveries and academic connections, were instrumental in securing funding for the satellite programme.
Professor Gennady El, along with Northumbria University’s Dr. Antonio Moro and Dr. Matteo Sommacal, Newcastle University’s Dr. Magda Carr, and Professor Mark Hoefer from the University of Colorado Boulder and Professor Barbara Prinari from the University at Buffalo, will lead the satellite programme.
In addition to promoting collaboration and knowledge-sharing, the programme aims to be inclusive and encourage the participation of female mathematicians. It will also feature outreach activities for the general public and young people, including a public lecture at Newcastle’s Lit and Phil library.
Scientists from various countries, including France, Italy, Canada, the USA, Brazil, and Japan, are expected to attend the programme. The field of dispersive hydrodynamics, which examines complex behaviors in nonlinear waves, will be a central focus. This mathematical framework has applications in understanding the formation of rogue waves and tsunamis in the ocean.
The previous programme at the INI in Cambridge resulted in significant discoveries related to the spectral theory of soliton gases in dispersive hydrodynamic systems. This interdisciplinary area of nonlinear science, pioneered by Northumbria University, studies the collective behavior of solitons in various media. Understanding soliton gases can help explain wave fluctuations causing disruptions and structural damage in different contexts, from offshore platforms to optical telecommunication systems.
The success of Northumbria’s previous programme at the INI has paved the way for the upcoming satellite programme in Newcastle. It brings together experts from diverse backgrounds to advance mathematical research and further our understanding of nonlinear dispersive waves.