Physicists at UCLA used sound waves to create
Convection during the movement of hot gas under the influence of a gravitational-like acoustic force in a spherical glass vessel. Image: J. P. Koulakis et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.
The hot plasma that forms a star is locatedin constant motion. As it approaches the surface, it cools and begins to move deeper into the core to heat up again. As a result, convection currents are formed, which in turn generate a magnetic field.
To create your own physics model, fill outa spherical glass shell 3 cm wide with gaseous sulfur and heated the gas in the center to 4,000 °C using microwave radiation. The sound waves inside the ball acted like gravity, restricting the movement of the hot gas. At the same time, the acoustic force generated inside such a model is a thousand times greater than the force of gravity on the Earth's surface. This means that in all experiments it is acoustic gravity that will control the behavior of the model.
Convection currents of acoustic gravity inside the model. Video: J. P. Koulakis et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.
Video recordings of the sphere during experimentsshow the complex movement of gas after the acoustic force is turned on. The researchers identified this movement as a convective flow driven by gas heating near the center. They are identical to what happens on a gaseous giant planet or star. Hot clumps of gas in the model “rise to the surface”, forming bright plumes.
The ability to control and manipulateplasma in a way that simulates convection will help scientists understand and predict how solar weather affects spacecraft and satellite communications systems, the scientists say.
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