Dr James Baker
School of Computer Science and Mathematics
Faculty of Engineering and Technology
Email: J.L.Baker@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 231 2277
Dr Baker is originally from Cheshire, UK. In 2012 he completed an MMath (Master of Mathematics) degree at the University of Oxford, before moving to the University of Manchester to undertake a PhD in Applied Mathematics, graduating in 2016. After a brief period as a research associate at Manchester, he took up a postdoctoral role at the University of Sydney, Australia, where he worked in the School of Civil Engineering for a number of years. He subsequently went on to secure an independent early career research fellowship at Sydney, beginning in 2020. In addition, during 2021 he spent 6 months working as a visiting researcher in the Department of Materials Science at the University of Manchester. Dr Baker joined LJMU's School of Computer Science and Mathematics as a Senior Lecturer in 2022.
Dr Baker's research to-date has been centred around “granular materials”, which includes sand, snow, soil, and many others (not necessarily beginning with ‘s’). He aims to apply fundamental knowledge to diverse industries and applications, with recent projects including quality control of pharmaceutical products, energy saving in the mineral processing industry, and modelling erosion and other environmental processes. His work typically employs a combination of mathematical modelling, numerical simulations and small-scale experiments, with one particular current emphasis being on image analysis of x-ray data and on the development of novel reconstruction algorithms.
Degrees
2016, University of Manchester, United Kingdom, PhD Applied Mathematics
2012, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, MMath Master of Mathematics
Academic appointments
Senior Lecturer, School of Computer Science and Mathematics, Liverpool John Moores University, 2022 - present
Honorary Research Fellow, School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, 2022 - present
Visiting Research Associate, Department of Materials Science, University of Manchester, 2021 - 2021
DECRA Research Fellow, School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, 2020 - 2022
Postdoctoral Research Associate, School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, 2016 - 2020
Research Associate, Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, 2016 - 2016
Highlighted publications
Baker J, Guillard F, Marks B, Einav I. 2018. X-ray rheography uncovers planar granular flows despite non-planar walls Nature Communications, 9 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Viroulet S, Baker JL, Rocha FM, Johnson CG, Kokelaar BP, Gray JMNT. 2018. The kinematics of bidisperse granular roll waves Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 848 :836-875 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Baker JL, Johnson CG, Gray JMNT. 2016. Segregation-induced finger formation in granular free-surface flows Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 809 :168-212 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Journal article
Baker JL, Einav I. 2021. Deep velocimetry: Extracting full velocity distributions from projected images of flowing media Experiments in Fluids, 62 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Maranic Z, Guillard F, Baker J, Einav I, Marks B. 2021. A granular thermometer Granular Matter, 23 DOI Publisher Url
Dulanjalee E, Guillard F, Baker J, Einav I, Marks B. 2020. Measuring grain size fractions of bidisperse granular materials using X-ray radiography Optics Express, 28 :29202-29211 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Baker J. 2020. Scanning geophysical hazards Europhysics News, 51 :14-16 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Luong TH, Baker JL, Einav I. 2020. Spread-out and slow-down of granular flows through model forests Granular Matter, 22 DOI Publisher Url
Viroulet S, Baker JL, Edwards AN, Gray JMNT. 2019. Les instabilités hydrodynamiques dans les écoulements granulaires géophysiques Reflets de la physique, 62 :32-36 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Baker J, Guillard F, Marks B, Einav I. 2018. X-ray rheography uncovers planar granular flows despite non-planar walls Nature Communications, 9 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Viroulet S, Baker JL, Rocha FM, Johnson CG, Kokelaar BP, Gray JMNT. 2018. The kinematics of bidisperse granular roll waves Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 848 :836-875 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Viroulet S, Baker JL, Edwards AN, Johnson CG, Gjaltema C, Clavel P, Gray JMNT. 2017. Multiple solutions for granular flow over a smooth two-dimensional bump Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 815 :77-116 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Baker JL, Johnson CG, Gray JMNT. 2016. Segregation-induced finger formation in granular free-surface flows Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 809 :168-212 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Baker JL, Gray N, Kokelaar P. 2016. Particle Size-Segregation and Spontaneous Levee Formation in Geophysical Granular Flows International Journal of Erosion Control Engineering, 9 :174-178 DOI Publisher Url
Baker JL, Barker T, Gray JMNT. 2015. A two-dimensional depth-averaged μ(I)-rheology for dense granular avalanches Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 787 :367-395 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Chapters
Luong HT, Baker J, Einav I. 2020. Granular flows through a model-scale forest: Influence of tree density and implications for landslide mitigation Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 54 :691-696 DOI Publisher Url
Membership of professional bodies:
Member, Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), https://ima.org.uk/about-us/. 2023