Phys.org

Liquid gallium experiment confirms key flow regime inside rapidly rotating stars and planets

Since we cannot look into the interiors of stars and planets, we rely on lab experiments to replicate the physical processes that occur there. Led by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), an international research team has produced the first experimental verification of a theoretically predicted flow state deemed characteristic of the interiors of rapidly rotating celestial bodies. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) also participated in the study, which has been published in Physical Review Letters. The results provide a robust experimental basis for testing theoretical models of the processes that occur inside these celestial bodies.