Sanjeeva Balasuriya

Graduate Student / Division of Applied Mathematics

sanjeeva@cfm.brown.edu

Academic background

I was an undergraduate at the beautiful University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, for a couple of years, and completed my B.S. in Physics at Lafayette College, Pennsylvania. I am now working on my Ph.D. at the Division of Applied Mathematics at Brown University with Prof. Chris Jones in dynamical systems.

Research Interests

Dynamical Systems, Ordinary Differential Equations
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
Models for Gulf Stream Mixing Processes

My thesis research concerns an analytical approach to mixing issues in the Gulf Stream. There are many models which are formulated to explain the phenomena of the transfer of packets of fluid across the Gulf Stream. My advisor and I are interested in adressing this question without limiting ourselves to a particular model. General two dimensional, incompressible flows which satisfy barotropic potential vorticity conservation are considered, and perturbations on these flows due to viscous effects are examined as candidates for creating chaotic mixing. Tools from dynamical systems (in particular, Melnikov functions) are used in this approach.

Non-academic interests

My time wasting activities include bridge, squash and soccer. I apologise for not including my photograph on this page, since it is even more scary than that of Costas .

Where to contact me:

    Sanjeeva Balasuriya
    Box F
    Brown University
    Providence RI 02912
    Tel: (401) 863-2230 (work)
	 (401) 863-2510 (work - less likely)
	 (401) 863-1594 (computer lab)
	 (401) 521-3033 (home)