Liquid Sodium Geodynamo Models

LathropEAR-0207789该项目旨在更好地了解地球磁场的产生机制。这项地球物理学资助了一种新设备的研究，该设备旨在以接近地球的参数自动产生磁场。这个新装置驱动液态钠在一个三米长的球形储罐中流动。水箱和封闭的螺旋桨独立旋转，以驱动钠流，以拉伸和放大磁场。其目的是更好地理解决定地球磁场强度的饱和机制，以及描述饱和自发发电机状态的动力学特征(如反转)。计划进行新的诊断，以更好地表征磁场和流体速度的波动，包括超声波测速仪、球形磁场传感器和磁场成像阵列。旋转和洛伦兹力对速度和磁场的影响是这些诊断将探测的具体问题。这项科学探索试图揭示各种显示活跃领域的物体(地球、太阳、木星、土星、木卫一)以及那些没有自我生成的物体(如金星)的磁场自我生成的动力学。

LathropEAR-0207789This project seeks to better understand the generation mechanism for the Earth's magnetic field. This geophysics grant funds research in a new device designed to self-generate magnetic fields at parameters close to the Earth. This new device drives liquid sodium to flow in a three-meter spherical tank. The tank and the enclosed propellers rotate independently to drive a sodium flow to stretch and amplify magnetic fields. The goal is to better understand the saturation mechanism, which determines the strength of the Earth's field, as well as characterize the dynamics of a saturated self-generating dynamo state (such as reversals). New diagnostics are planned to better characterize the fluctuations in the magnetic field and the fluid velocity, including ultrasound velocimetry, spherical magnetic field sensors, and a magnetic field imaging array. The effects of rotation and Lorentz forces on the velocity and magnetic fields are specific issues these diagnostics will probe. This scientific exploration seeks to shed light on the dynamics of field self-generation on a wide variety of objects showing active fields (the Earth, the Sun, Jupiter, Saturn, Io) as well as those lacking self-generation such as Venus.--