Workshop "Tangled Magnetic Fields in Astro- and Plasma Physics"

Posted by on 13 July 2012 Comments Off on Workshop "Tangled Magnetic Fields in Astro- and Plasma Physics"

The above meeting will be held in autumn in the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS) in Scotland as a satellite workshop of a six-month program on

TOPOLOGICAL DYNAMICS IN THE PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

16 July – 21 December 2012

Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge, UK

WWW.NEWTON.AC.UK/PROGRAMMES/TOD

The Workshop in Edinburgh will focus on the research exploiting topological and geometrical concepts in the study of morphology and evolution of magnetic fields in astrophysics and plasma physics. The topics will include:

  • Dynamo action associated with chiral turbulence, in planetary and solar contexts;
  • Eruption of solar/stellar fields through chromospheres and coronae;
  • Braiding of the coronal field due to footpoint motion;
  • Spontaneous field discontinuities (current sheets) and coronal heating;
  • Magneto-rotational instability (MRI) in accretion discs, and associated transport of angular momentum;
  • Magnetostatic equilibria in toroidal fusion plasmas; their stability and containment characteristics.

For more information, including the list of invited lectures, please visit www.icms.org.uk

If you would like to participate and be considered for a contributed talk or poster, please complete the  on-line application form.  The  deadline for applications is

31 August 2012

We encourage early applications. Registration may have to be closed before the deadline as the number of Participants is limited by the size of the lecture hall.

Konrad Bajer Steve Cowley
Mitchell Berger Gunnar Hornig
Andrew Gilbert Clare Parnell

PHD ON MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE AT LNCMI-GRENOBLE/COVENTRY UNIVERSITY (UK)

Posted by on 1 June 2012 Comments Off on PHD ON MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE AT LNCMI-GRENOBLE/COVENTRY UNIVERSITY (UK)

(from Alban Potherat, Coventry, UK)

Applications are invited for a PhD position in experimental fluid mechanics at The Grenoble High Magnetic Field Laboratory (GHMFL, Grenoble, France), under a co-tutelle agreement with Coventry University (UK). The subject is the experimental investigation of turbulence in liquid metals under the influence of very high magnetic fields. Turbulence is one of the major remaining challenge from classical physics. This work will target the mechanisms of the transition between the two and three-dimensional states of turbulence. This hot question of fundamental fluid mechanics has direct implications for several modern problems such as the optimisation of heat extraction in future nuclear fusion reactors, or the challenge posed by the dynamo effect that is responsible for the existence and the dynamics of the magnetic field of the Earth, but also on the dynamics of oceans and atmospheres.

The PhD student will take part in an experimental project headed by A. Potherat, where liquid metal turbulence is generated in a closed vessel placed within a large magnet hosted at the GHMFL, in Grenoble, who delivers some of the highest magnetic fields in the world. Since magnetic fields mainly push the flow towards two-dimensional states, they provide a convenient way to control the 2D-3D transition, so as to analyse its mechanisms in detail. The flow is diagnosed using advanced metrology techniques such as Ultrasound velocimetry and electric potential velocimetry. The student will be in charge of running the next phase of this experiment and analysing the results.

Successful applicants should hold a Master or Engineering degree with a solid background in fluid mechanics, and be highly motivated by the conduct of highly technical projects. The PhD student will be attached to CoventryUniversity’s Post-GraduateSchool but based in Grenoble (France) with a few trips to the UK every year. The PhD student will receive a grant of approximately 17k Euros per annum, entirely free of tax or any other deductions.

A good command or either French or English is an essential requirement. Applicants should address their CV, a recent set of marks/rankings and the name of at least one referee to Dr. Alban Potherat, CoventryUniversity (alban.potherat(at)coventry.ac.uk). Please note that only EU citizens are eligible.

Informal inquiries are welcome, please contact Alban Potherat (+44(0)2476 88 88 65), or Francois Debray, LNCMI francois.debray(at)lncmi.cnrs.fr +33(0)476 88 12 44

[PDF version]

PostDoc Position at University of Leeds, UK

Posted by on 3 May 2012 Comments Off on PostDoc Position at University of Leeds, UK

University of Leeds, Department of Applied Mathematics. 3 year NERC-funded postdoc position.

Applications are invited for a research fellowship funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The project will investigate the convectively driven dynamics of the Earth’s fluid outer core and, in particular, the nature of the reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field. The aim will be to determine the various forms of dynamo action that are possible and to locate the parameter regimes in which reversals may occur, thus improving our understanding of the reversal mechanism. The post will involve the modification and running of existing convective dynamo codes in Cartesian and spherical shell geometries. You will work in close contact with the principal investigator (PI) Professor David Hughes as well as with Professor Chris Jones in the Department of Applied Mathematics. A PhD (or PhD submitted) in the relevant discipline, e.g. Computational Fluid Dynamics or Earth Sciences with computational experience or Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics is essential. Interpretation of the results in terms of geomagnetic data will be performed with the investigators and with Professor Cathy Constable of the University of California, San Diego.

University Grade 6 (£24,520 – £29,249 p.a.) or University Grade 7 (£30,122 – £35,938 p.a.) It is likely that an appointment will not be made above £31,948 p.a. due to funding limitations.

Informal enquiries may be made to Professor David Hughes, tel +44 (0)113 343 5105 email d.w.hughes(at)leeds.ac.uk

Closing Date: 11 June 2012

Interviews are expected to be held 9 July 2012

Further details, including how to apply, can be found at http://jobs.leeds.ac.uk (reference MAPMA0028)

—

Prof D.W. Hughes
Department of Applied Mathematics
University of Leeds
Leeds LS2 9JT
UK
Tel: +44 (0)113 343 5105
Email: d.w.hughes(at)leeds.ac.uk
http://www.maths.leeds.ac.uk/~dwh

July 8-11, 2013: BIFD2013: Instabilities and Bifurcations in Fluid Mechanics 2013 (Haifa, Israel)

Posted by on 30 April 2012 Comments Off on July 8-11, 2013: BIFD2013: Instabilities and Bifurcations in Fluid Mechanics 2013 (Haifa, Israel)

Dear Colleague

The Fifth International Symposium “Instabilities and Bifurcations in Fluid Mechanics” will be held on July 8-11, 2013 at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Traditional topics, detailed in the Scope of Symposium, are instabilities and bifurcations in shear, rotating and convective flows; experimental, theoretical and numerical methods for studying instabilities and bifurcations; bifurcations and instabilities in various technological applications. Attached please find the scope of the symposium.

More information is available on the symposium web site http://BIFD2013/technion.ac.il

We invite you to submit your original contribution and to attend this symposium. Abstracts of up to 500 words on any of the topics covered by the symposium should be submitted by January 15, 2013.

The abstracts should be sent to the symposium organizers by e-mail bifd2013(@)technion.ac.il . Should you prefer to schedule your talk with one of the special sessions listed below, please send your abstract directly to the session organizer/s with a copy to the symposium organizers at bifd2013(@)technion.ac.il and state your preference explicitly in the body of your email message.

Further details about the conference are given below.

Invited speakers (with tentative titles of their lectures):

Professor Gustav Amber, KTH Stockholm, Sweden
“Surface tension driven instabilities and bifurcations”

Professor Jose Eduardo Wesfreid, PMMH, ESPCI, Paris, France
“Transient states in the transition to turbulence in channels”

Professor Roger Ohayon, CNAM, LMSSC, Paris, France: TBA

Special sessions

Instabilities in films and drops. Organizer Alex Oron, Technion, Israel

Instabilities in biofluid flows. Organizer Pinhas Bar-Yoseph, Technion, Israel

Bifurcation and instabilities in technological applications. Organizer Alexander Gelfgat, Tel Aviv Univ, Israel

Magnetohydrodynamic instabilities. Organizer Oleg Zikanov, University of Michigan, USA

Instabilities in geophysical flows. Organizer Nili Harnik, Tel Aviv Univ, Israel

Localised states in fluids. Organizer Isabel Mercader, UPC, Spain

Subcritical transition in shear flows. Organizers Alessandro Bottaro, Univ of Genova, Italy and Yohann Duguet, LIMSI, France

Instabilities in astrophysical flows. Organizer Michael Mond, Ben Gurion University, Israel

Computational methods for bifurcation and instability analysis. Organizers Henk Dijkstra (Univ of Utrecht, The Netherlands) and Fred Wubs (Univ of Groningen, The Netherlands).
Fluid-Structure Interaction. Organizers Oded Gottlieb (Technion, Israel) and Andrei Metrikine (TU- Delft, The Netherlands).
Colleagues who are willing to organize other special sessions in their field of expertise are welcome to contact one of co-chairpersons or just write us via the conference e-mail address.

Venue, accommodation and registration

The symposium will take place at the Technion (Haifa, Israel) campus. Details can be found at http://www.technion.ac.il. Limited accommodation is available on campus, a short walk from the venue for the meeting.

Sincerely,
Co-Chairpersons:
Prof. Pinhas Z. Bar-Yoseph (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology; e-mail: merbygr(@)technion.ac.il)
Prof. Morten Brøns (Technical University of Denmark; e-mail: M.Brons(@)mat.dtu.dk)
Prof. Alexander Gelfgat (Tel Aviv University; e-mail: gelfgat(@)eng.tau.ac.il)
Prof. Alexander Oron (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology; e-mail: meroron(@)technion.ac.il)

Ph.D. FELLOWSHIP ON CONVECTION IN THE LIQUID CORE OF THE EARTH AT COVENTRY UNIVERSITY (UK)

Posted by on 28 April 2012 Comments Off on Ph.D. FELLOWSHIP ON CONVECTION IN THE LIQUID CORE OF THE EARTH AT COVENTRY UNIVERSITY (UK)

A Ph.D. position in experimental fluid mechanics is offered at Coventry University (UK). The project is aimed at reproducing convection under a magnetic field in the so called “tangent cylinder” region of the Earth’s liquid core, in controlled laboratory conditions. This problem of fundamental research is of crucial importance in understanding both the morphology and the dynamics of the Earth’s magnetic field. The successful completion of the project will help explain the presence of weak and reversed magnetic flux spots in the polar regions.

The student will be in charge of conducting the experimental project under the joint supervision of Alban Pothérat (http://nestor2.coventry.ac.uk/research/appmath/staff/potherat/potherat.php) and Binod Sreenivasan (http://home.iitk.ac.in/~bsreeni/index.html). He/she will be assisted by a Development Officer and by the university’s mechanical and electrical workshops and their staff. He/she will build a rig where the convective flow is generated in an electrically conducting fluid (an electrolyte/liquid metal) on a rotating table, placed inside the bore of Coventry’s new 8T superconducting magnet. He/she will also have to set up PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) and dye-based flow visualisation techniques. He/she will then perform a series of experiments in order to reproduce convective structures that would help explain the main features of the observed geomagnetic field.

Applicants must hold a Masters degree or equivalent with a solid background in fluid mechanics and be specially motivated by the conduct of highly technical projects. The successful candidate will receive a tax-free fellowship of approximately £13k per annum. The project is funded by a grant from the prestigious Leverhulme Trust (http://www.leverhulme.ac.uk).

A good command of English is essential. To apply, please send a full CV with up-to-date academic records to Alban Pothérat, Coventry University (alban.potherat(at)coventry.ac.uk). Please note that this position is open to EU citizens only. For informal inquiries, contact Alban Pothérat (+44 (0) 2476 88 88 65) or Binod Sreenivasan (bsreeni(at)iitk.ac.in).