Over two dozen scientists from thirteen different institutions and four countries visited UCLA June 26-28, 2013 for a hands-on workshop entitled “Connecting Theory to Experiments in Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics (GAFD). The conference was sponsored by the UCLA Institute for Planets and Exoplanets (iPLEX) and Professor Jonathan Aurnou’s SPINLab, brought theorists and experimentalists together to discuss how to integrate their respective techniques and answer key questions in the field of fluid dynamics.

Researchers discussed fluid flow in oceans, atmospheres, and the metallic cores of planets.  These topics have applications ranging from weather and climate on Earth and other planets to magnetism in planets and stars.

UCLA scientists showcased the unique fluid dynamics experiments underway at SPINLAB through interactive lab tutorial sessions. Workshop attendees examined SPINLab’s rotating magnetic convection device (RoMag) and conducted basic experiments on spinning fluids with tanks mounted on turntables.

Learn more about UCLA fluid dynamics research on the SPINLab website.