Christophe Eloy

I am a Professor of Fluid Mechanics at Centrale Marseille, and my research activity is carried out at the IRPHE institute in Marseille.

My research addresses various fundamental problems of fluid and solid mechanics, including fluid-structure interactions, hydrodynamic instabilities, animal locomotion, aeroelasticity, rotating flows, and plant biomechanics. It generally involves a combination of analytical modeling, experiments, and numerical work.

Publications

2025

1. Mecanna, S.,Loisy, A., Eloy,C., A critical assessment of reinforcement learning methods for microswimmer navigation in complex flows. Eur. Phys. J. E, 48 (2025).  
2. Eloy, C., Michelin, S., Flow associated with Lighthill’s elongated-body theory. J. Fluid Mech. 1009, A72 (2025).  
3. Castro, D., Ruffier, F., Eloy, C., Visual collective behaviors on spherical robots. Bioinspir. Biomim. 20, 026006 (2025).  

2024

4. Mecanna, S., Loisy, A., Eloy, C., Applying reinforcement learning to navigation in partially observable flows. Seventeenth European Workshop on Reinforcement Learning (2024).  
5. Eloy, C., Hydrodynamics of flow sensing in plankton. Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 20, 2733-2741 (2024).  
6. Castro, D., Ruffier, F., Eloy, C., Modeling collective behaviors from optic flow and retinal cues. Phys. Rev. Res. 6, 023016 (2024).  

2023

7. Redaelli, T., Candelier, F., Mehaddi, R., Eloy, C., Mehlig, B., Hydrodynamic force on a small squirmer moving with a time-dependent velocity at small Reynolds numbers. J. Fluid Mech. 973, A11 (2023).  
8. Harmansa, S., Erlich, A., Eloy, C., Zurlo, G., Lecuit, T., Growth anisotropy of the extracellular matrix shapes a developing organ. Nat. Commun., 14, 1220 (2023).

2022

9. Donato Angulo, O. D., Eloy, C., Cros, A., Divergence instability in an air-conveying soft tube: Analysis of static zig-zag shapes. J. Fluids Struct., 115, 103765 (2022).  
10. Longo, L., Cruz, K., Cadot, N., Sarrouy, E., Ricciardi, G., Eloy, C., Drag coefficient estimation in FSI for PWR fuel assembly bowing. Nucl. Eng. Des., 399, 111995 (2022).  
11. Monthiller, R.,Loisy, A., Koehl, M.A.R., Favier, B., Eloy, C., Surfing on turbulence: A strategy for planktonic navigation. Phys. Rev. Lett., 129, 064502 (2022).  
12. Loisy, A., Eloy, C., Searching for a source without gradients: how good is infotaxis and how to beat it. Proc. R. Soc. A., 478, 20220118 (2022).  
13. Capanna, R., Ricciardi, G., Sarrouy, E., Eloy, C., Seismic response of cylinder assemblies in axial flow. J. Fluid Mech., 943, A15 (2022).  
14. Moulia, B., Badel, E., Bastien, R., Duchemin, L., Eloy, C., The shaping of plant axes and crowns through tropisms and elasticity: an example of morphogenetic plasticity beyond the Shoot Apical Meristem. New Phytol., 233, 2354-2379 (2022).

2021

15. Gao, D., Meunier, P., Le Dizès, S., Eloy, C., Zonal flow in a resonant precessing cylinder. J. Fluid Mech., 923, A29 (2021).  
16. Théry, A., Wang, Y., Dvoriashyna, M., Eloy, C., Elias, F., Lauga, E., Rebound and scattering of motile Chlamydomonas algae in confined chambers. Soft Matter, 17, 4857-4873 (2021).  

2020

17. Safaie, M., Jurado-Parras M.-T., Sarno, S., Louis, J., Karoutchi, C., Petit, L. F., Pasquet, M. O., Eloy, C., Robbe, D., Turning the body into a clock: Accurate timing is facilitated by simple stereotyped interactions with the environment. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 117(23), 13084–13093 (2020).

2019

18. Durán Venegas, E., Le Dizès, S., Eloy, C., A strongly-coupled model for flexible rotors. J. Fluids Struct., 89, 219-231 (2019).  
19. Capanna, R., Ricciardi, G., Sarrouy, E., Eloy, C., Experimental study of fluid structure interaction on fuel assemblies on the ICARE experimental facility. Nucl. Eng. Des., 352, 110146 (2019).  

2018

20. Duchemin, L. , Eloy, C., Badel, E., Moulia, B., Tree crowns grow into self-similar shapes controlled by gravity and light sensing. J. R. Soc. Interface, 15, 20170976 (2018).  
21. Gao, D., Chen, W., Eloy, C., Li H., Multi-mode responses, rivulet dynamics, flow structures and mechanism of rain-wind induced vibrations of a flexible cable. J. Fluids Struct., 82, 154-172 (2018).  
22. Filella, A., Nadal, F., Sire, C., Kanso, E., Eloy, C., Model of collective fish behavior with hydrodynamic interactions. Phys. Rev. Lett., 120, 198101 (2018).  

2017

23. Yu, Z., Eloy, C., Extension of Lighthill's slender-body theory to moderate aspect ratios. J. Fluids Struct., 76, 84-94 (2017).  
24. Eloy, C., Fournier, M., Lacointe, A., Moulia, B., Wind loads and competition for light sculpt trees into self-similar structures. Nat. Commun., 8, 1014 (2017).

2016

25. Arbie, M. R., Ehrenstein, U., Eloy, C., Stability of momentumless wakes. J. Fluid Mech., 808, 316-336 (2016).  
26. Lagrange, R., Meunier, P., Eloy, C., Triadic instability of a non-resonant precessing fluid cylinder. C. R. Mécanique, 344, 418-433 (2016).  
27. Paraz, F., Schouveiler, L., Eloy, C., Thrust generation by a heaving flexible foil: Resonance, nonlinearities, and optimality. Phys. Fluids, 28, 011903 (2016).  

2015

28. Morin, A., Caussin, J.-B., Eloy, C., Bartolo, D., Collective motion with anticipation: Flocking, spinning, and swarming. Phys. Rev. E, 91, 012134 (2015).  

2014

29. Lopez, D., Eloy, C., Michelin, S., de Langre, E., Drag reduction, from bending to pruning. Europhys. Lett., 108, 48002 (2014).  
30. Paraz, F., Eloy, C., Schouveiler, L., Vortex patterns generated by a heaving flexible plate. J. Vis., 17, 295-297 (2014).  
31. Paraz, F., Eloy, C., Schouveiler, L., Experimental study of the response of a flexible plate to a harmonic forcing in a flow. C. R. Mecanique, 342, 532-538 (2014).  
32. Ehrenstein, U., Marquillie, M., Eloy, C., Skin friction on a flapping plate in uniform flow. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A., 372, 20130345 (2014).  
33. Arellano Castro, R., Guillamot, L., Cros, A., Eloy, C., Non-linear effects on the resonant frequencies of a cantilevered plate. J. Fluids Struct., 46, 165-173 (2014).  

Older articles

34. Schouveiler, L., Eloy, C., Flow-induced draping. Phys. Rev. Lett., 111, 064301 (2013).  
35. Lauga, E., Eloy, C., Shape of optimal active flagella. J. Fluid Mech., 730, R1 (2013).  
36. Ehrenstein, U., Eloy, C., Skin friction on a moving wall and its implications for swimming animals. J. Fluid Mech., 718, 321-346 (2013).  
37. Eloy, C., On the best design for undulatory swimming. J. Fluid Mech., 717, 48-89 (2013).  
38. Eloy, C., Lauga, E., Kinematics of the most efficient cilium. Phys. Rev. Lett., 109, 038101 (2012).  
39. Eloy, C., Optimal Strouhal number for swimming animals. J. Fluids Struct., 30, 205-218 (2012).  
40. Eloy, C., Kofman, N., Schouveiler, L., The origin of hysteresis in the flag instability. J. Fluid Mech., 691, 583-593 (2012).  
41. Eloy, C., Leonardo's rule, self-similarity and wind-induced stresses in trees. Phys. Rev. Lett., 107, 258101 (2011).  
42. Eloy, C., Schouveiler, L., Optimisation of two-dimensional undulatory swimming at high Reynolds number. Int. J. Nonlinear Mech., 46, 568 (2011).  
43. Doaré, O., Sauzade, M., Eloy, C., Flutter of an elastic plate in a channel flow: Confinement and finite-size effects. J. Fluids Struct., 27, 76-88 (2011).  
44. Lagrange, R., Meunier, P., Nadal, F., Eloy, C., Precessional instability of a fluid cylinder. J. Fluid Mech., 666, 104-145 (2011).  
45. Eloy, C., Doaré, O., Duchemin, L., Schouveiler, L., A unified introduction to fluid mechanics of flying and swimming at high Reynolds number. Exp. Mech., 50, 1361-1366 (2010).  
46. Buchak, P., Eloy, C., Reis, P. M., The clapping book: Wind-driven oscillations in a stack of elastic sheets. Phys. Rev. Lett., 105, 194301 (2010).  
47. Lagrange, R., Meunier, P., Eloy, C., Nadal, F., Dynamics of a fluid inside a precessing cylinder. Mec. Ind., 10, 187-194 (2009).  
48. Schouveiler, L., Eloy, C., Coupled flutter of parallel plates. Phys. Fluids, 21, 081703 (2009).  
49. Eloy, C., Lagrange, R., Souilliez, C., Schouveiler, L., Aeroelastic instability of cantilevered flexible plates in uniform flow. J. Fluid Mech., 611, 97 (2008).  
50. Lagrange, R., Eloy, C., Nadal, F., Meunier, P., Instability of a fluid inside a precessing cylinder. Phys. Fluids, 20, 081701 (2008).  
51. Meunier, P., Eloy, C., Lagrange, R., Nadal, F., A rotating fluid cylinder subject to weak precession. J. Fluid Mech., 599, 405-440 (2008).  
52. Eloy, C., Souilliez, C., Schouveiler, L., Flutter of a rectangular plate. J. Fluids Struct., 23, 904-919 (2007).  
53. Souilliez, C., Schouveiler, L., Eloy, C., Flutter modes of a flexible plate in an air flow. J. Vis., 9, 242 (2006).  
54. Schouveiler, L., Eloy, C., Le Gal, P., Flow-induced vibrations of high mass ratio flexible filaments freely hanging in a flow. Phys. Fluids, 17, 047104, 8 pages (2005).  
55. Eloy, C., Le Gal, P., Le Dizès, S., Elliptic and triangular instabilities in rotating cylinders. J. Fluid Mech., 476, 357-388 (2003).  
56. Eloy, C., Le Dizès, S., Stability of the Rankine vortex in a multipolar strain field. Phys. Fluids, 13, 660-676 (2001).  
57. Eloy, C., Le Gal, P., Le Dizès, S., Experimental study of the multipolar vortex instability. Phys. Rev. Lett., 85, 3400-3403 (2000).  
58. Eloy, C., Le Dizès, S., Three-dimensional instability of Burgers and Lamb-Oseen vortices in a strain field. J. Fluid Mech., 378, 145-166 (1999).  
59. Le Dizès, S., Eloy, C., Short-wavelength instability of a vortex in a multipolar strain field. Phys. Fluids, 11, 500-502 (1999).  
60. Eloy, C., Clément, E., Stochastic aspects of the force network in a regular granular piling. J. Phys. I France, 7, 1541-1558 (1997).  
61. Gurnis, M., Eloy, C., Zhong, S., Free-surface formulation of mantle convection, part 2: Implication for subduction zone observables. Geophys. J. Int., 127, 719-727 (1996).