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LIFD director elected to distinguished fellowship

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Steven Tobias, Director of Leeds Institute for Fluid Dynamics and Professor of Applied Mathematics, has been elected to undertake a Rothschild Distinguished Visiting Fellowship in a research programme titled “Frontiers in dynamo theory: from the Earth to the stars”. The fellowship is hosted at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, an international mathematics research centre based in Cambridge.

The research will investigate how the magnetic field of the sun is generated and why it changes polarity every 11 years – while Earth’s magnetic field can stay with one polarity for hundreds of thousands of years before flipping the magnetic North and South poles.

Professor Tobias said: “I was obviously very pleased and honoured to be chosen as the Distinguished Visiting Fellow. The list of previous recipients includes some extremely eminent mathematicians, physicists and scientists and so it is a great honour.”

Although Professor Tobias’ research focuses on the physics of fluid flows on Earth and in astrophysics, it is likely to have an impact on other areas of science and engineering.

“Fluid dynamics plays a crucial role in all our big societal challenges, be it attaining net zero, understanding climate or health. It also plays a key role in our economy. Developing our understanding of turbulent fluid flow will have significant spin offs in engineering, physics and the life sciences."