FTPP Researchers Eva Kostadinova and Saikat Thakur Join $30 Million NSF-Funded Turbulence Research Center

Kostadinova and Thakur are co-investigators on Transformative Explorations in Multi-Physics and Engineering of Scientific Turbulence (TEMPEST), a new National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Technology Center led by Michigan State University. The center is supported by a $30 million NSF award and brings together researchers from eight universities and several national lab and industry partners to better understand, predict, and ultimately control turbulence.

Turbulence is found throughout the natural world, from atmospheric storms and ocean currents to plasmas in extreme environments. Because turbulent systems involve complex interactions across many different scales, predicting their behavior remains a major challenge in science and engineering.

TEMPEST will bring together physicists, mathematicians, engineers and artificial intelligence researchers to study turbulence through theory, computation, experimentation and data-driven approaches.

Researchers will work to develop predictive models that can be applied to real-world challenges in areas such as energy, aerospace, transportation and advanced manufacturing.

Bringing Plasma Physics Into the Study of Turbulence

Their research sits at the intersection of plasma physics, applied mathematics, fractional calculus and data-driven modeling. As associate professors in Auburn University’s Department of Physics, they study complex plasma systems and the ways energy moves through them.

Their research group uses dusty plasma as an experimental platform for studying collective behavior. Unlike many plasma systems, individual particles in dusty plasma can be directly observed, allowing researchers to reconstruct the system’s kinetic phase space and examine how particles interact.

A major focus of Thakur and Kostadinova’s work is understanding energy transport and interactions across different scales in three-dimensional dusty plasma clouds and two-dimensional monolayers. Their research examines both forward and inverse energy cascades, providing insight into how energy moves through turbulent systems.

To study these complex dynamics, they uses a Fractional Laplacian Spectral (FLS) approach, which combines spectral theory and fractional calculus to model anomalous transport and stochastic behavior. Their expertise in these areas provides an important connection between fundamental plasma physics, mathematics, and the broader study of turbulence.

A Collaborative Approach to a Complex Problem

Thakur and Kostadinova’s participation in TEMPEST reflects the center’s interdisciplinary approach. Rather than studying turbulence from a single perspective, researchers will combine observations, mathematical theory, computational modeling, experimentation, and artificial intelligence to better understand how turbulent systems develop and change.

The goal is to move beyond simply describing turbulence toward developing models that can accurately predict its behavior and, eventually, help researchers control turbulent systems. TEMPEST will also make research data and software broadly available and support educational programs designed to introduce students to the science and applications of turbulence.

Connecting Research Through FTPP

Kostadinova and Thakur are both active members within FTPP, contributing to its growing community of plasma researchers, educators and students. Through FTPP, they remain connected to opportunities that support collaborative research, professional development and the next generation of plasma scientists.

In addition to his research, Thakur serves as a mentor through FTPP, providing guidance and research experience to a student as they explore plasma science and its applications. Both of their continued involvement with FTPP reflects the program’s commitment to connecting faculty research with student mentorship and collaborative opportunities across the plasma science community

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