FIngering convection: enhanced mixing and the emergence of large-scale structures.

该方案结合分析研究与计算机建模，以更好地了解大规模流体不稳定性，导致“指指对流”。这一过程可能在一系列自然系统中发挥重要作用，从地球的海洋到红巨星的大气层。该项目将成为博士论文的基础，并为UCSC本科生和实习生（从法国高等师范学院访问UCSC）提供获得宝贵研究培训的机会。与此同时，PI和她的学生将参与下一届国际夏季天体物理学建模研究所，这是一个为期6周的项目，旨在解决天体物理学领域的突出问题。该项目旨在通过丰富的研究经验培养某一特定领域的研究生，并通过对一名学生的共同指导，促进更多资深研究人员之间的长期合作。PI和她的学生将对“指状对流”过程进行分析和计算建模，并试图建立通量定律，以预测在恒星天体物理学中可能发现的各种情况下，该过程传递了多少热量和物质。指指对流导致恒星辐射区域的形成，是由于组成梯度产生的不稳定性，即使密度梯度在其他方面是稳定的。例如，这可能发生在富含金属的物质被吸积或靠近红巨星的氢燃烧层的吸积。虽然主要是对不稳定性和对流的分析和计算研究，但该计划可能会导致可以纳入恒星演化代码的模块。

This program combines analytical studies with computer modeling to better understand large-scale fluid instabilities that lead to "fingering convection". This process could play an important role in a range of natural systems, from Earth's oceans to the atmospheres of red giant stars. This program will form the basis of a PhD thesis and provide opportunities for UCSC undergraduates and interns (visiting UCSC from the Ecole Normale Superieure in France) to gain valuable research training. In conjunction with this effort, the PI and her students will be involved with the next International Summer-Institute for Modeling in Astrophysics, a 6-week long program to solve topical outstanding problems in astrophysics. The program aims to train graduate students in a particular field through intense research experience, and to catalyze long-lasting collaborations between more senior researchers through shared mentorship of a student. The PI and her students will carry out analytical and computational modeling of the process of "fingering convection" and attempt to produce flux laws to predict how much heat and material is transferred by this process in various scenarios likely to be found in stellar astrophysics. Fingering convection results in radiative regions of stars from instabilities produced by a gradient in composition even when the density gradient is otherwise stable. This can happen, for example, by the accretion of metal rich material is accreted or near the Hydrogen burning layer in red giants. While primarily an analytical and computational study of instabilities and convection, this program could lead to modules that can be incorporated into stellar evolution codes.