High-definition turbulent geodynamo

Using the xshells code on thousands of computer cores allowed to simulate the generation of the Earth's magnetic field with unprecedented resolution.
Schaeffer et al. 2017 doi:10.1093/gji/ggx265

• arXiv paper
• movie
• story

Precession-driven dynamos

When a sphere precesses, the fluid rotates along an axis distinct from that of the solid outer sphere. This can lead to turbulence and generation of a magnetic field, and has applications to some planets and moons.
Cébron et al. 2019 doi:10.1093/gji/ggz037

• arXiv paper

Rapidly-rotating thermal convection

At high thermal diffusivity (like a liquid metal) and at high rotation rate (like a planetary core), the onset of convection is subcritial, the flow is always turbulent, while retaining the columnar structure due to the Coriolis force.
Kaplan et al. 2017 doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.094501
Guervilly et al. 2019 doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1301-5

• arXiv paper
• movie

• Nature paper
• movie

Simulating a liquid-metal spherical Couette experiment

Various regimes of flow in the DTS experiment are identified and characterized using direct numerical simulations using parameters close to the actual ones.
Kaplan et al. 2018 doi:10.1103/PhysRevFluids.3.034608

• arXiv paper