Phase III: Development of a Core Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at UCLA

地球磁场为地球创造了一个电磁茧；它保护地球不受宇宙射线的影响，并限制太阳风侵蚀造成的大气损失。目前的数值模型可以与观测到的地磁场的总体结构相匹配。然而，这些模型的预测能力有限，因为它们无法模拟地核磁场产生背后的湍流流体动力学。为了纠正这一点，我们将继续我们实验室对地核中流体湍流的独特研究。我们将使用两种独特的旋转对流设备对模拟地核的湍流对流进行新的测量，这两种设备都是由我们的实验室通过NSF EAR基金设计和开发的。我们实验室的新的2米高的实验装置将对极端湍流、快速旋转的对流进行详细的测量。使用我们的旋转磁对流装置，我们将在实验室测量一个新的、更大体积的液镓储罐中的完全湍流流动。我们的结果将与内部和与我们合作的外部团队进行的数值模拟结果进行比较。通过这些数据，提供了对极端湍流旋转对流和磁对流的首次测量，将使我们能够更好地了解支撑地球核心动力过程的湍流对流物理。这些研究将提供描述旋转对流和磁对流的基准数据。这些结果将与地核和其他行星发电机的数值建模人员特别相关。此外，它们还将与天体物理和太阳发电机建模者、大气动力学家以及研究湍流、对流物理和磁流体动力学的流体物理学家和工程师有关。这些项目将为实验室中的本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员提供实验室和计算培训。此外，这笔资金将使我们的地球科学教育电影资料库得到进一步发展，教育工作者和学生都可以在网上获得这些电影(http://spinlab.ess.ucla.edu/和www.youtube.com/USER/SpinLabucla)。

The Earth's magnetic field creates an electromagnetic cocoon for the planet; it shields Earth from cosmic rays and limits atmospheric loss by solar wind erosion.  Present day numerical models can match the gross structure of the observed geomagnetic field.  However, these models have limited predictive power because they are not able to simulate the turbulent fluid dynamics that underlies magnetic field generation in Earth's core. To remedy this, we will continue our laboratory's unique investigation of fluid turbulence in Earth's core.  We will make novel measurements of turbulent convection that simulates Earth's core using the two unique rotating convection devices, both designed and developed in our laboratory via NSF EAR funding.  Detailed measurements of extremely turbulent, rapidly rotating convection will be made in our laboratory's new 2 meter high experimental device. Using our rotating magnetoconvection device, we will make laboratory measurements of fully turbulent flows in a new, larger volume tank of liquid gallium. Our results will be compared with the results of numerical simulations carried out in-house and by external teams collaborating with us.  This data, providing the first measurements of extremely turbulent rotating convection and magnetoconvection, will allow us to better understand the turbulent convection physics that underpins Earth's core dynamical processes.  These studies will provide benchmark data describing rotating convection and magnetoconvection. These results will be especially relevant to numerical modelers of the Earth's core and other planetary dynamos.  They will also be relevant to astrophysical and solar dynamo modelers, atmospheric dynamicists, and fluid physicists and engineers studying turbulence, convection physics and magnetohydrodynamics. These projects will provide laboratory and computational training for undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers in the laboratory. Furthermore, this funding will allow the further development of our library of geoscience education films that are available online for educators and students alike (http://spinlab.ess.ucla.edu/ and www.youtube.com/user/spinlabucla).