Bangalore work on relaminarization

Relaminarization, also called reverse transition, is the process by which an initially turbulent flow can be rendered effectively laminar. By effectiveness here we mean that the fluctuations do not necessarily have to vanish but should be rendered inoperative by one of several means. A few scientists in the Bangalore aerodynamics community worked on the subject, with Roddam Narasimha playing a key role. Their work of about 50 years, beginning with the early 1960s, has brought about a significant understanding of the problem. I present here the highlights of this work in a personal way without delving into too many technical details. This is not a thorough review of the subject and is restrictive in scope.