# Paul E. Dimotakis
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[Research Website](http://www.its.caltech.edu/~pxdgroup/members/pxd/pxd.html)
[Personal Website](http://www.its.caltech.edu/~pxdgroup/)
Administrative Assistant
Name:
Christine M. Ramirez
Email:
[[email protected]](https://aph.caltech.edu/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e68594878b8f94839ca685878a9283858ec8838293)
Phone:
[626-395-4750](tel:+16263954750)
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Paul E. Dimotakis
## Paul E. Dimotakis
##### John K. Northrop Professor of Aeronautics and Professor of Applied Physics
*B.S., Caltech, 1968; M.S., 1969; Ph.D., 1973. Research Fellow, 1973-74; Research Fellow and Lecturer, 1974-75; Assistant Professor, 1975-81; Associate Professor, 1981-85; Professor, 1986-95; Northrop Professor, 1995-; Jet Propulsion Laboratory Chief Technologist, 2006-11.*
- Profile
- Publications
- Teaching
#### Research Overview
Professor Dimotakis focuses on experimental and computational research on turbulent mixing and chemical reactions in subsonic and supersonic free-shear flows; hypersonic propulsion; mixing and the geometry of surfaces and interfaces in turbulence; scalar dispersion in turbulent flows; and related areas.
**Space-Related Research**
Recent space-related research has been in collaboration with JPL on remote sensing of the atmosphere from space and on the technical feasibility of an asteroid-return mission. Other space-related research has been on high-speed/hypersonic endoatmospheric flight and propulsion, and parachute dynamics for entry, descent, and landing, as well as physics and issues related to a Europa melt-probe to descend to the liquid-water layer.
Research Summary:
Fluid physics, dynamics of turbulence, chemically reacting flows, combustion
[View more publications on feeds.library.caltech.edu](https://feeds.library.caltech.edu/people/Dimotakis-P-E/)
#### Related Courses
##### 2025-26
Ae/APh/CE/ME 101 abc – Fluid Mechanics
Ae/ME 118 – Classical Thermodynamics
##### 2022-23
Ae/APh/CE/ME 101 abc – Fluid Mechanics
Ae 201 ab – Advanced Fluid Mechanics