Short Bio

Dr. Chen is now a Research Assistant Professor in the School of Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He received his BEng (2017) and PhD (2022) from Tsinghua University (THU), honored as an Outstanding Graduate of THU and an Outstanding Graduate in Beijing City. Also, his PhD thesis is awarded an Outstanding PhD Thesis of THU, and an Outstanding PhD Thesis of CSAA. He was selected as the “Zijing Scholar” of THU, and obtained the Outstanding Young Scientist Award in the 14th IWMO conference in 2024

From Jul. 2026, I’ve joined Tsinghua University as a tenure-track assistant professor. My new email is xlchen@tsinghua.edu.cn and my new homepage is https://www.hy.tsinghua.edu.cn/info/1154/3628.htm.

Research Interests

Computational fluid dynamics
Geophysical fluid dynamics
Instability, transition and turbulence
Compressible flows and hypersonics
Numerical analysis

Publications

 Chen, X., Zhao, Z., Gan J. & Fu, L. Total enthalpy transformation in compressible turbulence recovering the incompressible law of the wall, Physical Review Fluids, in press (2026). 
 Chen, X., & Gan, J. Nonlinear instability and subthermocline turbulence for western boundary undercurrents. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 55(10): 1715-1733 (2025).
 Chen, X., Ying, A., Gan, J. & Fu, L. Uncovering the forcing statistics in stochastic linear models for compressible wall-bounded turbulence. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1015: A40 (2025).
 Chen, X., Gan, J. & Fu, L. Mean temperature–velocity relation and a new temperature wall model for compressible laminar and turbulent flows. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1009: A39 (2025).
 Chen, X., Gan, J., Hui, C. & McWilliams, J.C. Parameterization of the vertical mixing for the Luzon Undercurrent in the northern Western Pacific Ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 129(11): e2024JC021378 (2024).
 Chen, X., Gan, J. & McWilliams, J.C. Baroclinic nonlinear saturation and secondary instability of current-undercurrent meanders. Physical Review Fluids, 9(10): 103801 (2024).
 Chen, X., Gan, J. & Fu, L. An improved Baldwin–Lomax algebraic wall model for high-speed canonical turbulent boundary layers using established scalings. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 987: A7 (2024).
 Chen, X., Gan, J. & McWilliams, J.C. Biglobal analysis of baroclinic instability in a current-undercurrent oceanic system. Physical Review Fluids, 8(12): 123801 (2023).
 Chen, X., Cheng, C., Gan, J. & Fu, L. Study of the linear models in estimating coherent velocity and temperature structures for compressible turbulent channel. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 973: A36 (2023).
 Chen, X., Cheng, C., Fu, L. & Gan, J. Linear response analysis of supersonic turbulent channel flows with a large parameter space. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 962: A7 (2023).
 Chen, X., Xi, Y., Ren, J. & Fu, S. Cross-flow vortices and their secondary instabilities in hypersonic and high-enthalpy boundary layers. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 947: A25 (2022).
 Chen, X., Wang, L. & Fu, S. Energy transfer of hypersonic and high-enthalpy boundary layer instabilities and transition. Physical Review Fluids, 7(3): 033901 (2022).
 Chen, X. & Fu, S. Progress in the research of hypersonic and high-enthalpy boundary layer instabilities and transition (Review article). Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, 54(11): 2937–2957 (2022).
 Chen, X., Wang, L. & Fu, S. Parabolized stability analysis of hypersonic thermal-chemical nonequilibrium boundary-layer flows. AIAA Journal, 59(7): 2382–2395 (2021).
 Chen, X., Wang, L. & Fu, S. Secondary instability of the hypersonic high-enthalpy boundary layers with thermal–chemical nonequilibrium effects. Physics of Fluids, 33(3): 034132 (2021).
 Chen, X., Xu, D. & Fu, S. Oblique-mode breakdown in hypersonic and high-enthalpy boundary layers over a blunt cone. Advances in Aerodynamics, 3(1): 24 (2021).
 Chen, X. & Fu, S. Convergence acceleration for high-order shock fitting methods in hypersonic flow applications with efficient implicit time-stepping schemes. Computers & Fluids, 210: 104668 (2020).
 Chen, X. & Fu, S. Linear stability analysis of hypersonic boundary layer on a flat-plate with thermal-chemical non-equilibrium effects. Acta Aerodynamica Sinica, 38(2): 316–325 (2020).
 Cheng, C.†, Chen, X.†, Zhu, W.†, Shyy, W. & Fu, L. Progress in physical modeling of compressible wall-bounded turbulent flows (Review article). Acta Mechanica Sinica, 40(1): 323663 (2024).
 Yuan, Y., Gan, J. & Chen, X. Dynamics of the Kuroshio separation, instability and associated eddy formation off southern Japan. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, in press (2026).
 Shen, J., Chen, X. & Fu, L. Development and assessment of an improved Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model for complex hypersonic flows in two and three dimensions, Computers & Fluids, 305: 106917 (2026).
 Xu, D., Chen, X. & Fu, L. Temperature-velocity relation for laminar adiabatic and diabatic hypersonic boundary layers, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1023: A40 (2025).
 Ying, A., Chen, X., Li, Z. & Fu, L. Optimization and modeling of eddy viscosity in the resolvent analysis of turbulent channel flows, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1001: A20 (2024).
 Zhu, W., Chen, X. & Fu, L. Resolvent analyses of incompressible turbulent channel, pipe and boundary-layer flows. International Journal of Heat & Fluid Flow, 106: 109331 (2024).