Completed Physics & Astronomy Mathematics & Statistics

A Rolling Grant in Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics

Funder STFC (part of UKRI)
Recipient organisation University of Leeds
Funding £2.6M
Period Jul 2007 — Mar 2010

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

The Sun’s magnetic field flips every eleven years, triggering space storms that can knock out power grids and disrupt satellites. This research programme uses computer simulations and mathematical models to understand how magnetic fields, rotation, and fluid flows interact inside stars and planets. The team will study five specific problems: how the Sun generates its magnetic cycle and sunspots, how convection and magnetism work inside planets, how magnetic fields decay in neutron stars, and how rapidly rotating stars behave. These are fundamental physical processes that govern everything from the weather on Earth—driven by the Sun’s activity—to the stability of planetary magnetic fields that shield us from cosmic radiation. The work is curiosity-driven fundamental science, not applied engineering. But understanding how magnetic fields are generated and sustained in astrophysical objects has practical relevance: better predictions of solar storms could protect satellites, power grids, and aviation communications. Past fundamental research in fluid dynamics and magnetism has led directly to technologies like MRI scanners and fusion reactor designs.

View original technical description
Many astrophysical phenomena involve the complex interaction between magnetic fields, rotation and fluid flows. We intend to undertake a systematic and integrated programme of research to investigate this complex interaction in a wide variety of astrophysical objects. We shall utilise a combination of analytical and numerical techniques (including the application of cutting edge numerical algorithms optimised for use on massively parallel machines) to gain an understanding of such phenomena. Our unifying philosophy is to investigate the underlying fundamental physical interactions in these astrophysical fluids and to use expertise gained in one area in order to make progress on different objects that have the same underlying physical structures. The physical phenomena that we address are (1) The generation of magnetic fields in the Sun, including the formation of the well-known eleven year sunspot cycle. (2) The structure of sunspots and the link with the magnetic fields in the solar corona. (3) The form of convection and the generation of magnetic fields in planets. (4) The decay of magnetic fields in neutron stars (5) The dynamics of rapidly-rotating stars.

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Researchers

Alastair Rucklidge (Co-Investigator)Christopher Jones (Co-Investigator)David Hughes (Principal Investigator)Rainer Hollerbach (Co-Investigator)Steve Tobias (Co-Investigator)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

A Rolling Grant in Astrophysical Fluids
A Consolidated Grant in Astrophysical Fluids In Applied Mathematics at Leeds
Astrophysics Consolidated Grant
Consolidated Grant in Solar and Planetary Studies: Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Leeds
The Astrophysics Research Programme at Newcastle University

Original classification

Research Grant

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