LIFD John Fox Annual Lecture 2025

Programme

4.30pm - 5.00pm Sam Myers memorial talk delivered by Dr Richard Scott, St Andrews, "The global quasigeostrophic approximation in shallow water"

5.00pm - 5.30pm Dr Nils De Vries, University of Leeds, "Hydrodynamical simulations of mixed modes in evolved low-mass stars"

5.30pm - 6.00pm Drinks reception and posters

6.00pm - 7.00pm Keynote presentation "Unveiling the Sun", Prof Lucie Green UCL

Please see full speaker bios and abstracts below.

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Full Programme

Abstracts for Posters

If you would like to submit an abstract for a poster please submit this form to fluids-institute@leeds.ac.uk by Monday 27th January LIFD John Fox Annual Lecture Abstract Form

There will be a judging panel who will choose first (£100) and second (£50) prize.

If you need the form in a different format please let us know ASAP.

 

Speaker Bios and Abstracts

Dr Richard Scott

Title:   The global quasigeostrophic approximation in shallow water

Abstract:

It is often said that the quasigeostrophic approximation does far better than it should, meaning that it can often be usefully applied in situations where the conditions assumed in its derivation are poorly satisfied.  We will consider how far this statement can be pushed by comparing the full and the approximate dynamics in a simple but geophysically relevant flow in which two of the usual conditions underlying the approximation, small Rossby number and limited latitudinal extent, are clearly violated.  The comparison was developed while teaching the quasigeostrophic approximation in the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics course at the University of St Andrews.

Bio:

Dr. Richard Scott is a Reader in Applied Mathematics at the University of St Andrews, specializing in geophysical fluid dynamics and atmospheric dynamics. He serves as the Director of Postgraduate Research in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, overseeing the postgraduate research student community and PhD-related activities across the School. Dr. Scott's research focuses on the dynamics of planetary atmospheres, including the Earth's stratosphere and the atmospheres of the gas giant planets. His recent publications include studies on zonal jets, energy condensation in two-dimensional turbulence, and the Martian polar annulus.

 

Dr Nils De Vries

Title: Hydrodynamical simulations of mixed modes in evolved low-mass stars

Abstract:
Low-mass evolved stars exhibit a phenomenon known as mixed modes, which originate from the coupling of sound waves in the convective envelope to internal gravity waves in the radiative interior. One can therefore probe features of the deep interior, such as the core rotation rate, from the signatures of the mixed modes at the surface of evolved stars. So far, many observations of mixed modes have been made using CoRoT, Kepler, and TESS, but they have not yet been identified in hydrodynamical simulations. I will present the first simulation revealing the presence of mixed modes in a 1.3M_⊙ fully compressible evolved star model. Furthermore, I will attempt to obtain the amplitudes of the mixed modes in our simulations, in an effort to constrain the resulting angular momentum transport, thought to be one of the explanations for the smaller than expected difference in rotation rates between the core and envelope.

Bio:
Nils de Vries is a postdoctoral researcher working on stellar modelling of evolved stars at the University of Exeter with Prof. Isabelle Baraffe. He received his PhD from the University of Leeds in 2024, advised by Profs. Adrian Barker and Rainer Hollerbach. His research interests include simulations of (rotating) convection, tides and the waves excited by them in giant planets and stars, as well as the effect they have on their interiors.

 

Professor Lucie Green

Title: Unveiling the Sun

Abstract:

The space age ushered in a new era of solar physics, in which the full extent and character of the Sun was revealed. Perhaps most notable was the discovery of huge plasma eruptions from the Sun, that are known as coronal mass ejections. This talk will take a look at the importance of space-based data in studying the Sun and will discuss the latest research that shows coronal mass ejections are caused by magnetic fields in the Sun's atmosphere that have been deformed into twisted ropes of magnetism that the Sun struggles to hold down.

Bio:

Professor of Solar Physics at UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory, working on the origins of coronal mass ejections and supporting the development of new space mission concepts. Lucie is also very active in public engagement with science, having been a presenter on BBC’s Sky at Night and Stargazing Live programmes and the recipient of the Royal Society’s Kohn Award for excellence in public engagement and the Institute of Physics Lise Meitner Medal and Prize for distinguished contributions to public outreach.