Matt graduated with an MSc in Mathematical Modelling & Scientific Computing from the University of  Oxford in 2014. His MSc thesis involved modelling the retention of liquid meltwater within the snowpack in Greenland. However, Matt also has a strong interest in statistical modelling; this was formed during two internships with William Hill bookmakers, where he worked with a small team of mathematicians to construct models of sports matches so that in-play odds could be automatically. Outside of Mathematics, Matt plays the trumpet, and enjoys climbing, squash, cycling, and pool.

Research project title:
Faraday wave-droplet dynamics: a hydrodynamic quantum analogue

Supervisor(s):
Paul Milewski

Project description:
It has been observed on a microscopic scale that when a small fluid droplet is dropped onto a vertically vibrating fluid surface, it will ‘walk’ across the surface of the bath. The droplet-Faraday pilot wave pair’s behaviour is now reminiscent of quantum physics; there is a particle-wave duality where the fluid droplet can undergo similar processes to a particle in the quantum world. On an unbounded domain, pairs of droplets can interact, deflect or capture each other, depending on various parameters. The quantum single-particle double-slit experiment can be reproduced for fluid droplets, with the interactions between wave field and slits causing a diffraction probability distribution for droplet positions to be produced. This phenomenon was the basis for two lines of research that was explored by Matt: (i) The fluid dynamics of droplet-Faraday pilot wave reflection properties at planar boundaries. (ii) The long time stationary behaviour of models for droplet-Faraday pilot wave dynamics in confined domains.