Little Earth Experiment: an instrument to model planetary cores

TL;DR

The Little Earth Experiment is a novel laboratory setup that uses high magnetic fields to visualize and study the fluid dynamics of planetary cores, providing new insights into planetary magnetic field generation.

Contribution

It introduces a new experimental apparatus capable of visualizing electromagnetic effects in planetary core analogs using high magnetic fields and PIV.

Findings

Magnetic fields significantly alter convective plume structures.

The apparatus enables visualization of force coupling in planetary core models.

High magnetic fields can simulate planetary core conditions effectively.

Abstract

In this paper, we present a new experimental facility, Little Earth Experiment, designed to study the hydrodynamics of liquid planetary cores. The main novelty of this apparatus is that a transparent electrically conducting electrolyte is subject to extremely high magnetic fields (up to 10T) to produce electromagnetic effects comparable to those produced by moderate magnetic fields in planetary cores. This technique makes it possible to visualise for the first time the coupling between the principal forces in a convection-driven dynamo by means of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) in a geometry relevant to planets. We first present the technology that enables us to generate these forces and implement PIV in a high magnetic field environment. We then show that the magnetic field drastically changes the structure of convective plumes in a configuration relevant to the tangent cylinder region of the Earth's core.