Build Series Part IV: Motor AdapterUCLA SpinLab2026-09-19 | Build Series Part IV: Motor AdapterCentrifugal Accelerationucla spinlab2024-09-20 | A brief look at centrifugal acceleration and newton's bucket.
Music from OrangeFreeSoundsRoMag Takedown: the Video SOPucla spinlab2023-06-13 | This SpinLab internal video shows Yufan Xu and Jewel Abbate taking down the RoMag experiment. It can be used for future experiments as a guide for takedown or build-up. Lovingly filmed and edited by Rachel Tripoli. This timepiece will be a delight for future generations of SpinLab members. Enjoy!
We gratefully acknowledge the funding support of the NSF Geophysics Program.EduPIV: Spinlab Tutorial 3 Image Analysisucla spinlab2022-10-29 | This video is an introduction to analysis techniques for images collected with the Dantec EduPIV system.EduPIV Spinlab Tutorial 2: Image Detailsucla spinlab2022-09-10 | This video gives a detailed description on how to take quality images with the EduPIV system.
00:00 Introduction 00:25 Criteria that affect Image Quality 02:13 Ultimate Goal 02:37 A Note on Particle Streaking 02:47 Exposure Time and Trigger Rate 03:43 Our Set Up 05:30 Imaging Results 05:47 CreditsSpinLab Tutorial: EduPIV System Setup and Data Collectionucla spinlab2022-04-30 | This video is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to setup the Dantec EduPIV system and acquire initial images. In a future video, we’d like to show how to take an image that is optimized for analysis.
Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:25 Materials and Requirements 02:17 System Assembly 02:35 Camera Assembly 03:54 Pump System Assembly 04:59 Lightbox Addition 05:34 Water and Particle Addition 06:13 Software Installation 07:07 System Preparation for Camera 08:21 Image Acquisition: Calibration 10:34 Image Acquisition: Data 11:48 Helpful Tips 12:20 Credits
Music by JuliusH from Pixabay Camera: Fujifilm X-T3Earth Educators Rendezvous DIYnamics Workshopucla spinlab2022-04-15 | This video is a promo/advert/teaser for the DIYnamics Project's (diynamics.github.io) workshop at the 2022 Earth Educators' Rendezvous that will be held this July 14-15th in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
If this looks to be of interest, please come take part: Registration QR code at 1:50. If you have questions please post them here. Should you know educators for whom this might be of interest, most definitely forward this onto them. The more the merrier at EER 2022!
Video by DIYnamics team member Jordyn Moscoso (youtube.com/channel/UC-yZfVJlsD8wz20YGTh9usw).Coreaboloid: The Laboratory SOPucla spinlab2022-01-05 | This video is a bit of an inside job: it features Taylor Lonner and Henry Gonzalez going over the in's and out's of the current iteration of our Coreaboloid device with which we simulate the dynamics of rapidly rotating convective turbulence in planetary fluid layers. There is a lot to this device, and the hope is that this video standard operating procedure (SOP) will hopefully provide some modicum of continuity between Taylor and future generations of Coreaboloidalists.Experiential Computing: The Spike Prime Opportunity!ucla spinlab2021-05-03 | This video shows the wonders of the Lego Spike Prime kit. And argues that the Spike Prime could be a great tool for engaging beginner coders in computing courses at UCLA.
Missing Credit: Music by bensound.com!Centrifugal Instabilityucla spinlab2020-08-02 | This movie shows examples of centrifugal instability in a 20 cm diameter by 20 cm deep cylindrical tank of water situated on a DJ turntable. We spin up the tank of water so that all the water is in solid body rotation. Then we slow down the rotation rate. The fluid adjacent to the tank boundaries slows with the tank and the interior fluid maintains its original speed. The faster interior fluid then centrifuges its way outwards into the slowly fluid on the sidewall. The occurs in the form of centrifugal rolls. The rheoscopic fluid that is added to the water allows this instability to be nicely visualized.Kinematically-Reversible Magneto-Couette Flow: The Gory Detailsucla spinlab2020-06-09 | A delightful, chalkboard style, portrayal of viscous Magneto-Couette flow which is demonstrated in tandem with experimental videos.
The magnetic field varied quite a bit in total, but where the particles were in the video at r1 = 5.58e-2 [m], r2 = 6.49e-2 [m], and r3 = 7.27e-2 [m], the magnetic fields were 211 +/- 7 [G], 216 +/-10 [G], 225 +/- 6 [G].
AJ's Personal Notes:
GETTING THE SYSTEM TO MAGNETO-COUETTE: I originally started with high salinity brine and increased the percentage of cornsyrup and ran the experiment. I checked to see if the solution was conducting, if there was corrosion on the stainless steel, how bad the surface was, and if bubbles formed in the fluid. Many of my observations concerning conductivity actually became inconclusive because I did not realize that I needed to deeply wash the setup after every run (not just rinsing and wiping down). There is a thin layer of corrosion that builds up on the stainless steel that inhibits current flow, hence the vigorous washing with soap and water and occasionally brushing with a steel brush/sanding. If the fluid is not moving for you, try sanding the steel first and trying again.
Additionally, the same brine/cornsyrup mixture only produced good results for me only for 3 runs, tops. I found that the texture of the brine/cornsyrup mixture changes slightly (more microbubbles throughout) and the conductivity slightly reduces after every run and more at high current.
Overall, the higher the salinity, the more corrosion and bubbles formed. The more cornsyrup that is used, the less the tracing particles would go to the boundaries (many times the tracers would fly off to the borders and not turn with a constant radius) or move toward each other from surface tension, but because there is less brine, the harder it is to conduct. Moreover, if the particles do move with less brine, there is added time of conduction that degrades the fluid and setup. We also used photoflo to try and mitigate the surface tension as well. I didn't do enough runs to really see if it was effective, though.
I mixed the brine/cornsyrup solution with a standing rotary mixer (basically a small propeller attached to a drill) that we borrowed from another lab. I would mix the solution while I washed and dried the setup from the previous run, so I only mixed for 5 minutes; not long. If you don't have a standing mixer, a kitchen electric mixer would do the trick.
ANIMATING THE EQUATIONS: I wrote the equations using Slideshow in PowerPoint. Under slideshow, choose "record slide show." This will open a whole new screen. In the upper left corner, click "record" and it will record all your pen strokes. You can also pause the recording, write some more stuff, and continue recording. This creates the effect of writing instantly appearing. Each slide is basically a separate pen stroke recording. To create the video, go to "file", "export", then click "create a video." This will create one video of all the slides strung together, one right after the other.
As a side note, I did this using a tablet pen on a tablet. I highly encourage the use of a pen because mouse writing is quite janky to say the least.
JA's Personal Notes:
NEXT STEPS: Now, how do we make this a DIYnamics experiment (diynamics.github.io) you can do in your kitchen using salt water, soup can, coffee can, plate, Vaseline, magnet(s) and a few batteries?Kinematically-Reversible Magneto-Couette Flow: The Movie!ucla spinlab2019-11-15 | A stunning mix of CGI and laboratory experiment reveals the rather delightful world of viscous Magneto-Couette flow. It is kinematically-reversible, sans moving parts. You can reverse the direction of the imposed electrical currents OR the direction of the imposed magnetic field and the flow will reverse. Very elegant...Calimeros Uprising!ucla spinlab2019-09-09 | This video is a time lapse of Sietze Oostveen's 12 week internship in the spring/summer of 2019, as captured by a GoPro set up next to his beloved rotating convection experiment, Calimero.Evaporative Convection in Glorious Time-Lapseucla spinlab2019-05-25 | This movie shows a ~3cm deep, 1m diameter layer of water seeded with reflective flakes. The water evaporates into the room, driving slow convective motions (cool water sinking, forming dark lanes; warm water rising, forming brighter regions). The time lapse takes place over ~2 hours; no motions were visible to the human eye. But visually rather striking though when sped up just a bit...Engaging Audiences with Hands-On Fluids Experimentsucla spinlab2018-05-23 | Here we show two short snippets of video with Sam May (2016 B.S., UCLA Physics) engaging interested early career scientists using the "White Whale" 1m diameter rotating table at UCLA's Explore Your Universe event in 2015 (exploringyouruniverse.org/). In addition, there are some still images at the end showing participants interacting with smaller record player sized experiments. Emilly Hawkins (2019 Ph.D., UCLA Geophysics) is shown in two of those pics working the wheels of steel.
For instructions on how to build your own rotating demonstration table (out of LEGOs no less), please see diynamics.github.io/.
Disclaimer: The audio is missing on the second video clip with Sam. It is the best part, where everyone discusses the resulting flows. But, at present, I cannot fix that issue. The audio is fine on the file I am uploading... (?).Spin Up, Spin Down in an Ellipsoiducla spinlab2017-04-12 | The title says most of it. Football shaped cavity filled with water seeded with Kalliroscope pearlescent flakes. First the cavity spins up from rest to 30 rpm following a slow (15 s or so) S-shaped ramp. You see the separation where the angularly accelerating container is pulling away from the fluid.
In this movie, we show via analog laboratory and numerical simulations that planetary libration can drive bulk turbulence in a ellipsoidal shell of interior low viscosity fluid. This implies then that libration can matter for mixing processes, amongst others, on bodies like Enceladus and Europa that are librating and have subsurface fluid layers. It may even be possible that the interior energy dissipation is predominantly due to librational instabilities in the subsurface fluid, not due to tidal dissipation in the ice shells of these bodies.
This study is the result of a broad collaboration amongst researchers from ENS Lyon, IRPHE (Marseille) and ISTerre (Grenoble) and UCLA.Rotating Convection Flowsucla spinlab2016-10-21 | In this movie, made by UCLA students Hayley Bricker and Gurjot Kohli, images of rotating convection supercomputer simulations are compared against laboratory experiments in which we sprayed green food coloring (density ~ 1.02 g/cc) into a rotating tank of water (~ 1 g/cc). The movie shows the columnar convective flows that develop, and which are well aligned along the system's axis of rotation. This style of flow develops in rapidly rotating laboratory and numerical experiments, suggesting that this is a relatively robust behavior in a wide range of settings.
The side view footage of the lab experiment reveals a rather strong free surface wave (e.g., 1:18 - 1:30). This occurs because we didn't leveled the tank all that precisely. Further, the tank appears to precess in the top view footage (1:35 - 1:40). This occurs because we shot that with a camera in the lab frame and then Sam May “digitally transformed” that footage into the rotating reference frame. Since the lab-frame camera was not exactly above the rotation axis, the digital transformation makes the tank appear to precess in the counterclockwise direction.
We thank Thomas Gastine (IPGP), Moritz Heimpel (U of Alberta), Keith Julien (CU Boulder), Sam May (UCSD) and Krista Soderlund (UTIG) for supplying images and movies. In addition, thanks go to Gary Glesener (VaTech) for designing and building the rotary table.Coffee Science with Samucla spinlab2015-05-09 | An exploration of how steam heats your milk for lattes and the physics behind it. Look for our soon to be released app in the app store to create perfectly steamed lattes without scalding the milk!
App Link: Coming SoonThermal Convection from a Localized Heat Sourceucla spinlab2015-05-03 | The title really says it all here, no? Tank of water, dye on top of an aluminum plate that is seated atop a rubber heatpad. Turn on power to the heatpad and: see title.The DavidOrtega Series: The Grandeur of NoMagucla spinlab2015-01-30 | Here is a quick look at the NoMag experiment at UCLA. We can study rapidly rotating highly turbulent convection in NoMag, helping to bridge the gap between experiments and real geophysical systems.The DavidOrtega Series: A Day in the Life of RoMagucla spinlab2015-01-27 | This film shows a thrilling half hour liquid gallium transfer from our cleaning chamber over to RoMag, our beloved rotating magnetoconvection experiment at UCLA.Record Player Fluid Dynamics: A Taylor Column Experimentucla spinlab2014-09-19 | Laboratory experiments showing the formation of a Taylor column, which is one of the canonical of rapidly rotating fluid dynamics as exists in many geophysical settings.
For downloads of this and other educational movies, go to http://spinlab.ess.ucla.edu
Music: Smoke & Mirrors by RJD2Effects of Rotation on Dye Droplets & Fluid Layersucla spinlab2014-07-23 | In this movie, we show four different laboratory experiments, which provide concrete examples of buoyancy, centrifugal and Coriolis forces in fluid dynamics.Tabletop Spacecraft Flyby of a Dwarf Starucla spinlab2013-12-08 | For our Introduction to Computing class, we have developed a miniature robotic spacecraft mission that performs a flyby of an in-class "dwarf star." Our star consists of a standard light bulb and a paper shield to emulate radiation from a spherical body. The spacecraft analog is a remotely controlled LEGO MINDSTORMS robot programmed using LabVIEW.
Students acquire light intensity data via a spacecraft flyby past the star. This dataset is then imported into MATLAB, and is inverted to create a model of the experimentally determined intensity falloff and the maximum perceived brightness of the star. These quantities are analogous to inherent properties of a real dwarf star, or an endoplanet, that are determined in real remote sensing missions.When Planets Collide!ucla spinlab2013-11-23 | In this laboratory experiment, a falling liquid metal (gallium) plumes act as an analog for the descent of a planetesimal's iron core descends through a larger body's still molten magma ocean.Waves in Planets and Starsucla spinlab2013-11-23 | This video shows laboratory simulations of waves that exist, for example, in Earth's upper atmosphere and in the radiative zone of the sun. These experiments were carried out by Michael Le Bars (IRPHE, Marseille) while visiting SPINLab in 2013.Bad Case of the Librationsucla spinlab2013-11-22 | Here we show, via laboratory experimental simulations, that the non-uniform rotation of a planet (here so-called planetary libration) can drive significant fluid flows in sub-surface fluid layers.Alignment of Earths Magnetic Fielducla spinlab2013-11-02 | Earth's magnetic field is generated by convective motion of the liquid iron in Earth's outer core. Curiously, Earth's magnetic field is also rather well aligned with the planet's axis of rotation. So how are the planet's rotation, convection in the core and the geomagnetic field all connected together?
Here we show analog experiments which demonstrate that Earth's rapid rotation tends to align core convective motions along the direction of the planet's rotation axis. These aligned motions then generate a planetary-scale magnetic field that is preferentially oriented along the rotation axis as well.Laboratory Demonstration of Gravito-inertial Wavesucla spinlab2013-11-02 | This video shows a laboratory simulation of the waves that exist, for instance, in Earth's stably stratified upper atmosphere and in the radiative zone of the sun. These experiments were set up and carried out by Michael Le Bars (IRPHE, Marseilles) while visiting SpinLab in 2013.Colliding Planets!ucla spinlab2013-11-01 | Colliding Planets: Here we show liquid metal plume experiments as an analog for understanding planetary core formation processes.Psychedelic Spin-Upucla spinlab2013-02-24 | Used one of the templates in iMovie to try to learn it. The footage is from an demo experiment in a square tank of water, 15 cm deep, 60 cm on a side. The tank is impulsively spun-up to ~10 rpm. The camera is in the rotating frame. This allows you to see the fluid mechanics pretty well. The fluid takes about 10 minutes to spin-up to the rotation rate as the tank. The fluid near the outside is spin up first (non-intuitively, spin-up away from the corners of the tank occurs predominantly by centrifugation of fluid through the bottom Ekman boundary layer, not sidewall friction); the fluid near the center lags behind. This cylindrical shear (du_phi/ds) leads to the spiral galaxy patterns in the dye.
Visualization. The flow in the bulk fluid can be seen with the food coloring. The Ekman boundary layer can be seen thanks to the potassium permanganate crystals at the bottom of the tank. Lastly, note that there are some nice corner vortices as well.How to Build Your Own Pancake Vortexucla spinlab2012-12-11 | This film shows how to make a (laminar) pancake vortex, qualitatively similar to Meddies in the North Atlantic Ocean or the Great Red Spot on Jupiter.
Ingredients: Clear cylindrical tank; record player; double bucket system; salt; water; food coloring; pipette; and video equipment.
---The hardest part is the double bucket set up, but this can be made rather easily using parts at almost any plumbing or hardware store.Transiting Exoplanet: The Laboratory Experimentucla spinlab2012-11-27 | This video shows a laboratory analog of a transiting (exo)planet. This experiment is relatively easy to set up in a classroom or kitchen.
We centered a 5" globe bulb on the rotation axis of a 1 meter diameter rotary table. Students used a Vernier Photodiode hooked up to a Vernier SensorDaq to acquire time series of light intensity. These clearly reveal the dip in intensity due to the transit events. Given i) some math in class, ii) the distances between the photodiode and the bulb, and iii) the bulb- planet distance, we were able to invert the light intensity data to estimate the size of the transiting body.
Note the significant variation of the light intensity emitted by the globe as a function of rotation angle. That actually caused problems with our planetary radius estimates, which assumed the star was emitting light uniformly. Also note the transit of the support post, which was by accident too, but impressive just the same.Coriolis Deflection: Effect of Rotation Rate (Silent)ucla spinlab2012-03-10 | In this demonstration, we roll a ball bearing down ramp affixed to our rotary table and is filmed by a camera that is also attached to the table. Without rotation, the ball travels in a straight line. However, when we rotate the table in the counterclockwise (right-handed) direction, the ball deflects off to its right. When we increase the rate of rotation, the ball deflects off to its right to a greater degree.Coriolis Deflection: Effect of Rotation Direction (Silent)ucla spinlab2012-03-10 | In this demonstration, we roll a ball bearing down ramp affixed to our rotary table and is filmed by a camera that is also attached to the table. Without rotation, the ball travels in a straight line. However, when we rotate the table in the counterclockwise (right-handed) direction, the ball deflects off to its right. And when we rotate the table in the clockwise (left-handed) direction, the ball deflects off to its right. So when the direction of rotation is flipped, the Coriolis deflection flips as well.Chapter 4: Atmospheric Circulation, Cylindrical Tank Experimentsucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Laboratory demonstrations show settling of a denser patch of dyed fluid in a cylindrical tank. When the tank is stationary, the dye settles, forming a gravity current, and coats the bottom of the tank. Next we rotate the entire set up on our rotary table. Now the dye does not settle as it is supported by Coriolis forces (i.e., geostrophic balance), and instead forms a dipolar vortex. This structure is then pushed away from the center of the tank by unbalanced centrifugal forces. Analogous to mid- and high-latitude atmospheric dynamics, this demonstration shows the importance of eddies and vortices in regions far from the equator.The Full Monty: Laboratory Demonstrations of Planetary-Style Fluid Dynamicsucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Laboratory demonstrations of basic physics underlying ocean and atmospheric fluid dynamics. Demonstrations include: Coriolis effect, atmospheric overturn, deflection of easterlies and westerlies, gyroscopic behavior of rapidly rotating fluids, and swirling flows in non-rotating and strongly rotating systems.Chapter 8: Vortices in a Rotating Tankucla spinlab2012-02-09 | We mechanically generate vortices in a rotating tank of fluid. The vortices are forced by flipping an acrylic flap on the left hand side of the tank. The strong rotational effects produce nearly two-dimensional flows. This two-dimensionality fundamentally alters the behavior of the vortices. They now form large, coherent structures with little mixing of the different dye patches in the fluid. These vortices are qualitatively similar to those observed in the cloud layers of the Gas Giants, Jupiter and Saturn.Chapter 6: Creamer Plume Experimentsucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Here we qualitatively compare the behavior of spinning tops with flows in spinning fluids. The stationary top falls over, whereas the spinning top is supported by gyroscopic forces. Using packets of creamer, we show that dense fluid rapidly falls through a stationary tank of water, then forms a gravity current and coats the tank bottom. In contrast, Coriolis forces can support the creamer in the spinning tank of fluid. Thus spinning fluids have gyroscopic properties not unlike spinning tops.Chapter 7: Vortex in a Non-Rotating Tankucla spinlab2012-02-09 | We mechanically generate a strongly turbulent vortex (max Reynolds number Re ~ 50,000) in a non-rotating tank of fluid. The flow is forced via a flap on the left hand side of the tank, located at around 9 o'clock. The flow is strongly three dimensional with rapid mixing of the different dye patches in the fluid. Also note that the vorticity is strongly localized, likely approximating a so-called potential vortex. This flow is qualitatively similar to the strongly-driven vortex motion of a hurricane.Chapter 5: Oceanic Garbage Patch Formationucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Here we demonstrate how atmospheric winds lead to the existence of floating garbage patches near the centers of the subtropical gyres. Fans simulate the wind field in a hypothetical subtropical gyre. Without rotation, floating debris follows the winds. When the tank is spinning, the video gets a bit nauseating. Just the same, the Coriolis force deflects the debris off to the right the wind direction (i.e. Ekman transport), eventually pushing the debris towards the center of the tank.Chapter 3: Atmospheric Circulation, Square Tank Experimentsucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Laboratory demonstrations show basic process of atmospheric overturn in a non-rotating square tank. Heavier dye sinks at one side of the channel, whereas less dense dye rises at the other end. The two dye patches coat the top and bottom of the tank. Next we rotate the entire set up on our rotary table. Now the spreading dye patches are deflected off to the right of their respective pathways. This deflection, for example, explains the formation of low latitude surface easterlies.Chapter 2: Atmospheric Circulation, Channel Experimentsucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Laboratory demonstrations show basic process of atmospheric overturn in a non-rotating square tank. Heavier dye sinks at one side of the channel, whereas less dense dye rises at the other end. The two dye patches coat the top and bottom of the tank. Next we rotate the entire set up on our rotary table. Now the spreading dye patches are deflected off to the right of their respective pathways. This deflection, for example, explains the formation of low latitude surface easterlies.Chapter 1: Coriolis Effectucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Laboratory demonstrations of the Coriolis effect. A ball bearings travels down a ramp that is affixed to rotary table. The camera in the rotating frame show the ball's deflected path. We show how deflection varies with direction of rotation and with rotation rate.Vortices in a Rotating Tank (Silent)ucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Mechanically forced vortices (maximum Reynolds number Re ~ 50,000) in a rotating tank of water (Ekman number ~ 5e-5; Rossby numbers Ro less than 4). The strong rotational effects produce nearly two-dimensional flows. This two-dimensionality alters the behavior of the vortices. They form large, coherent structures with little mixing of the different dye patches in the fluid. These vortices are qualitatively similar to those observed in the cloud layers of the Gas Giants, Jupiter and Saturn.Vortex in a Stationary Tank (Silent)ucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Mechanically forced turbulent vortex (maximum Reynolds number Re ~ 50,000) in a non-rotating tank of water. The flow is strongly three dimensional with rapid mixing of the different dye patches in the fluid. The vorticity is strongly localized, approximating a so-called potential vortex. The flow is qualitatively similar to the strongly-driven vortex motion of a hurricane.Creamer Plume Experiment: Side View in the Rotating Tank (Silent)ucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Thirty second side view movie of the settling of a packet of creamer through a rotating tank of water.Creamer Plume Experiment: Side View in the Non-Rotating Tank (Silent)ucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Thirty second side view movie of the settling of a packet of creamer through a stationary tank of water.Creamer Plume Experiment Compilation (Silent)ucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Here we compare the settling of a packet of creamer through a stationary tank of water as well as through a rotating tank of water. All movies are in real time and are shown for the same time windows (~9 s). (Reynolds, Rossby and Ekman numbers are reported in the film.)Creamer Plume Experiment: Top View in the Rotating Tank (Silent)ucla spinlab2012-02-09 | Thirty second top view movie of the settling of a packet of creamer through a rotating tank of water.