David Oettinger

Since November 2013 I am a PhD student with Prof. George Haller at the Institute of Mechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich.
My background is theoretical physics. I received a Bachelor's degree in Physics from the University of Konstanz (Germany) in 2011, and a Master's degree in Physics from ETH Zürich in 2013.

Current Project

Theories of transport barriers in three-dimensional flows
In attempt to understand or even predict where material is transported to in oceanic flow, one may apply solid mathematical tools to identify key structures that act as invisible walls for particles inside the fluid. Being able to determine them promises to be beneficial for example in event of an oil spill, or for the extension of climate models. Developing a geometrically appealing theory for these transport barriers in three-dimensional flow with arbitrary time dependence is the focus of my ongoing work, including application to selected data sets.