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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
Abstract: In the solar interior, strong latitudinal differential rotation persists throughout most of the convection zone (CZ). At the base of the CZ, this differential rotation transitions across a narrow shear layer, known as the "tachocline", to rigid rotation in the radiative zone (RZ) below. The origin of the tachocline is a longstanding mystery, given the tendency of shear to spread inward relatively quickly compared to the solar age. We explore three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of a solar-like CZ-RZ system, in which the magnetic field from the convective dynamo spreads into the RZ and confines a tachocline. For the first time, our simulations are able to confine tachoclines in the computationally challenging regime of "radiative spread", wherein inertial forces spread the differential rotation inward (instead of the more typical viscous-dominated dynamics). We conclude with a summary of this recent progress toward solving the tachocline problem and outline avenues for further research.
Bio: Loren Matilsky graduated cum laude in physics and mathematics from Cornell University in 2015 and received his Ph.D. in Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences in 2022 from the University of Colorado Boulder, advised by Prof. Juri Toomre. Since Fall 2022, he has been studying Astronomy and Astrophysics in Applied Mathematics with Prof. Nicholas Brummell, as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow. He is studying the behavior of stellar dynamos (partially convective G-type solar-like stars and fully convective M dwarfs) as they spin down.
Host: Philipp Edelmann (CCS-7)