I am a scientist working in the field of fluid mechanics, at the Centre for Fluid and Complex Systems, at Coventry University (UK). My research concerns the fluid mechanics of turbulent and convective flows, especially under the influence of magnetic fields and background rotation. Turbulence and convection are two of the most common processes driving fluid motion in natural or engineered processes. Turbulent flows are highly erratic and difficult to predict. Convection sets in because of differences of density within fluids, due for example to variations of temperature or chemical concentration. Magnetic fields and background rotation (such as the rotation of a planet) have in common to spectacularly change the way in which turbulence and convection transport momentum, heat or chemicals, but also how they dissipate energy. This typically happens in the blanket that extracts heat from nuclear fusion reactors, in the outer liquid core of the Earth and other planets, in planetary atmospheres and oceans. Understanding or controlling these effects is therefore key to such challenges as building efficient fusion reactors, understanding how our planet sustains a magnetic field, or building accurate models for the weather and the climate...
