Phase V: Development of the Core Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at UCLA

加州大学洛杉矶分校SpinLab(http://spinlab.ess.ucla.edu/))的研究人员将扩大对在地球熔融铁核内产生地磁场的磁流体动力学过程进行实验室理论模拟的领域。此外，该项目将为三名研究生、至少两名本科生和一名博士后研究员提供实验室实验、数值和理论建模方面的培训。这笔资金还将扩大国际和平研究所的外展工作，最近开发了新的DIY实验STEM工具，可以在教室里与所有年龄段的学生使用(https://diynamics.github.io/).The研究将提供表征和量化多尺度核心型对流湍流的基本实验室数据)。这些数据对于基准和验证先进的岩心流动理论以及建立液态金属中湍流行星发电机发电的预测模型是必要的。因此，这些结果对地核和其他行星发电机、流体湍流、太阳和恒星对流带以及海洋和大气动力学的模型都是有用的。该项目由四项主要任务组成。在任务1中，研究人员将继续进行一系列水中旋转对流实验，以阐明关于湍流核心对流的原理。这些实验将使用最近完成的、由NSF资助的NoMag设备进行，该设备存在于加州大学洛杉矶分校PI的实验室中，研究人员可以使用该设备对极地对流速度、涡度和热场进行成像和量化。对于任务2，该团队将继续进行一系列液态金属对流实验，并通过紧密耦合的数值模拟进行增强。这些数据将使该团队能够量化和诊断在模拟的地球核心流体的极地块中发生的复杂磁流体动力学。任务3将通过开发一种新的抛物面自由表面对流装置，对地心低纬地区发生的旋转对流进行实验室-数值耦合模拟。最后，任务4将通过测试和开发一种直径1米、价格实惠的转盘的计划来进一步推动地球科学教育推广工作，该转盘可以容易地组装并用于所有蒸汽环境中的流体动力学演示。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Researchers in UCLA's SpinLab (http://spinlab.ess.ucla.edu/) will expand the realm of laboratory-theoretical simulations of the magnetohydrodynamic processes that generate the geomagnetic field within Earth's molten iron core. Further, this project will provide training in laboratory experimentation, numerical and theoretical modeling to three graduate students, at least two undergraduates and one postdoctoral researcher. This funding will also allow for the expansion of the PI's outreach efforts, most recently developing new do-it-yourself experimental STEM tools that can be used in classrooms with students of all ages (https://diynamics.github.io/).The research will provide fundamental laboratory data characterizing and quantifying multi-scale core-style convective turbulence. These data are necessary to benchmark and validate advanced theories of core flow and to build predictive models of turbulent planetary dynamo generation in liquid metals. Thus, the results are useful to models of Earth's core and other planetary dynamos, fluid turbulence, solar and stellar convection zones, as well as oceanic and atmospheric dynamics. This project is comprised of four main tasks. In Task 1, the investigators will continue a series of rotating convection experiments in water that are elucidating principles about turbulent core convective flows. These experiments will be conducted using the recently completed, NSF-funded NoMag device that exists in the PI's lab at UCLA, and that allows investigators to image and quantify polar convective velocity, vorticity and thermal fields. For Task 2, the team will continue a series of liquid metal convection experiments, enhanced by closely-coupled numerical simulations. The data will allow the team to quantify and diagnose the complex magnetohyrdrodynamics occurring in a simulated polar parcel of Earth's core fluid. Task 3 will carry out coupled laboratory-numerical simulations of rotating convection occurring at low latitudes in Earth's core via the development of a new parabolic free-surface convection device. Lastly, Task 4 will further the geoscience educational outreach efforts, by testing and developing plans for a 1-meter diameter, affordable rotary table that can be easily assembled and used for fluid dynamics demonstrations in all STEAM settings.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.