Meetings/Workshops on Plasma and Gas-discharge Physics, Nuclear Fusion in the United States (USA)

The goal of the workshop is to bring together experts in turbulence from the perspectives of astrophysics, plasma physics, biology, mathematics, atmospheric sciences, and experimental design. We would like to promote an exchange of ideas, tools, and knowledge between different fields working on the still unsolved turbulence problem. The conference will include a mix of talks/lectures along with breakout sessions and discussion time.

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology,    Multidisciplinary Events in Physics

American Physical Society (APS)

Condensed Matter Physics and Materials,    Atomic and Molecular Physics

American Physical Society

Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP)

A fascinating and surprising phenomenon that can occur in fluid and plasma turbulence is the spontaneous formation of arrays of layers in which material properties such as density adopt a so-called “staircase” structure. The most striking examples are potential vorticity staircases in planetary atmospheres, and thermohaline staircases in the oceans. Theoretical considerations suggest that layering also plays an important role in stellar interiors (particularly through various double-diffusive processes) and in fusion confinement devices (the so-called E x B staircase). Understanding the phenomenon of layering is, therefore, not only of intrinsic scientific interest (e.g., is there a common thread to layering in these very different contexts?), but is also crucial for an accurate description of turbulent transport in, for example, models of large-scale ocean flow, the evolution of stellar interiors and confinement in tokamaks.

Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics and Statistical Physics,    Mathematical Physics