Physicists have made significant strides in understanding the transition of fluids in a pipe from a smooth, laminar state to a turbulent state as their speed increases. Each of these remarkable findings unfolded over the past 10 years and BOY do they have a huge, paradigm-shifting impact on the fluid dynamic community! It’s one of the most impactful pieces of research, led by Guru K. Jayasingh and published in the eminent Physical Review Letters.
The team’s paper, “Tricritical Directed Percolation Controls the Laminar-Turbulent Transition in Pipes with Body Forces” was published last year in Physical Review Letters. It philosophically approaches the inviting enigma that is fluid turbulence. Their results reveal an unexpected transition in the flow of fluids in bent tubes. This new nuance is further complicated by the fact that fluids move through space-time in unpredictable ways.
Academic Contributions and Insights
Nigel Goldenfeld, who is the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics, said the research was important.
“Our work is, once again, a striking example of the way in which multidisciplinary approaches can yield unexpected solutions to hard scientific problems—in this case one going back over a century,” – Nigel Goldenfeld.
This research is a great example of the depth of creative thinking. In fact, it has the opportunity to fundamentally alter the way we think about fluid dynamics. This cooperative endeavor between these researchers is a great example of how interdisciplinary approaches can create major breakthroughs.
Publication and Access
The research paper describing these astonishing results was just published in Physical Review Letters, and is available online. Its DOI 10.1103/46g3-n7cx, and can be found here. This new publication provides critical information and guidance about the effects of body forces on fluid flowing through a curved pipe. In addition, it debunks old assumptions of how predictably laminar-turbulent transitions form.
This helps the research attract a wider audience beyond the academic community. On September 11, 2025, a preview story from Phys.org covered these thrilling advances. This was an unprecedented milestone in the way that the public gets involved with scientific progress.
Implications for Future Research
The implications of this discovery go further than the world of theoretical physics. Predicting when a fluid goes from a laminar to turbulent state can save industries, from engineering to environmental science, millions of dollars. This understanding serves as a foundation upon which engineers will build. They could apply it to improve the performance of existing fluid transport systems, such as pipelines and water treatment plants.
As researchers maintain the momentum of fluid dynamics interdisciplinary advances, this work expands new possibilities for inquiry and practice. These results highlight the need for additional research into how various parameters, such as geometry and flow conditions, can change fluid behavior.