Contact

Dr. Frank Stefani

Head Geo- and Astrophysics
f.stefaniAthzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 3069

Geo- und Astrophysics

Foto: DRESDYN Fig. 3 ©Copyright: Dr. Frank Stefani

DRESDYN

The DREsden Sodium facility for DYNamo and thermohydraulic studies (DRESDYN) is an infrastructure project devoted both to large scale liquid sodium experiments with geo- and astrophysical background, as well as to investigations of various energy related ­techno­logies.
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Foto: Scheme and computed magnetic eigenfield of the Riga dynamo ©Copyright: Dr. Frank Stefani

The Riga Dynamo Experiment

Magnetic fields of planets, stars, and galaxies are produced by self-excitation in moving electrically conducting fluids. In 1999, the underlying hydro­magnetic dynamo effect was experimentally evidenced at the Riga dynamo facility. With numerical simulations, the development of measurement techniques, and extensive data analyses our department has contributed significantly to the success of this unique experiment.
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Foto: Magnetfelder im Kosmos ©Copyright: Sander Münster

Magnetorotational instability (PROMISE Experiment)

Cosmic ­magnetic fields play a surprisingly active role in cosmic structure formation by fostering outward angular momentum transport and inward mass accretion onto central objects, like protostars or black holes, by means of the ­magnetorotational instability (MRI). At the PROMISE experiment, two special ­versions of MRI, the helical MRI and the azimuthal MRI are investigated.
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Foto: Tayler instability ©Copyright: Dr. Norbert Weber

The Tayler Instability

The Tayler instability limits the up-scalability of liquid metal batteries and plays a major role in astrophysics.
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Foto: Rayleigh-Bénard ©Copyright: Dr. Tobias Vogt

Rayleigh-Bénard convection in liquid metals

Thermally driven convection can be found in many areas of nature and technology. Particularly interesting from a geo-and astrophysical point of view are convection flows at ­very low Prandtl numbers, ie in fluids with low viscosity and particularly high thermal conductivity. Experiments with the lowest Prandtl numbers can only be achieved with liquid metals and pose a great challenge.
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Foto: Alfvén PRL ©Copyright: Dr. Frank Stefani

Alfvén waves

At HZDR, Alfvén wave experiments were carried out at the "magic point" where the speeds of Alfvén and sound waves coincide.
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