Philip G. Saffman

Abstract

This article surveys the contributions of Philip Geoffrey Saffman to our knowledge of fluid-dynamical phenomena both in nature and in the laboratory. We begin with Saffman's first work on fluid mechanics in Cambridge, England, in the mid-1950s and then describe the evolution of his ideas and research, over many diverse areas in fluid mechanics until his final paper in 2002. It is argued that Saffman brought a unique perspective to our interpretation of fluid mechanics as a broad scientific discipline that remains with us today.