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/）的研究人员将扩大实验室理论模拟的领域，以模拟在地球熔融铁芯内产生地磁场的磁流体动力学过程。此外，本项目将为3名研究生、至少2名本科生和1名博士后提供实验室实验、数值和理论建模培训。这笔资金还将用于扩大PI的外展工作，最近开发了新的diy实验STEM工具，可以在所有年龄段的学生的课堂上使用（https://diynamics.github.io/）。该研究将为描述和量化多尺度核型对流湍流提供基础的实验室数据。这些数据是必要的基准和验证先进的理论核心流动和建立湍流行星发电机在液态金属中产生的预测模型。因此，这些结果对地核和其他行星发电机、流体湍流、太阳和恒星对流区以及海洋和大气动力学的模型都很有用。这个项目由四个主要任务组成。在任务1中，研究人员将继续在水中进行一系列旋转对流实验，以阐明湍流核心对流流动的原理。这些实验将使用最近完成的由美国国家科学基金会资助的NoMag设备进行，该设备存在于PI在加州大学洛杉矶分校的实验室中，该设备允许研究人员对极地对流速度，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来加强实验。这些数据将使研究小组能够量化和诊断复杂的磁流体动力学，这些磁流体动力学发生在模拟的地核流体的极地包裹中。任务3将通过开发一种新的抛物自由面对流装置，对发生在地核低纬度地区的旋转对流进行实验室-数值耦合模拟。最后，任务4将进一步开展地球科学教育推广工作，通过测试和开发直径1米、价格合理的旋转台的计划，该旋转台可以轻松组装并用于所有STEAM设置中的流体动力学演示。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.