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University of Maryland Three Meter Experiment

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The Three Meter Geodynamo experiment is the latest in a series of progressively larger experiments in the Lathrop Lab at the University of Maryland to study how planets generate magnetic fields. We are essentially trying to build planetary cores in the lab. We hope the Three Meter experiment will generate a magnetic field from a rotating turbulent flow of liquid sodium metal. The experiment is now in an assembly and testing phase. When complete it will contain nearly 13 tons (13,000kg) of sodium metal flowing in the space between a 3 meter diameter outer sphere (shown here in a rotation test) and a 1 meter diameter inner sphere concentric with the outer. Each sphere has a 350 horsepower (250kW) electric motor to drive its rotation. The inner sphere models the Earth's solid inner core; the sodium models the Earth's fluid outer core, the source of the Earth's main magnetic field. For more information on this experiment and other experiments at Dan Lathrop's lab at the University of Maryland, please visit http://complex.umd.edu

Channel: Science & Technology
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: n3umh

Length: 02:37
Rating: 4.793103
Views: 37602

Tags: Physics  Magnetohydrodynamics  Dynamo  Sodium  Lathrop  Geodynamo  Science  Sphere  

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Video Comments

Photonicinduction (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
money well spent then?
hboy007 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
13000kg of liquid sodium. Nice! I want so see the results!
EmeraldAisle (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
I knew you'd say that twenty years ago. LOL
beverding (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
I saw this three years from now
Spike20TRILLION (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
I went back in time looking at it!!
o8643 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Thankfully, I don't drive. Though some of the shuttle drivers make me wish I do.
NikoKun (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
So how large of a magnetic field does this create? Could it (or something similar) be used to shield a space-craft from radiation in space, at a low energy consumption, since it's just spinning?
lathropdaniel (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
No worries dude. Driving to campus is more dangerous than this.
o8643 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
I'm assuming this is in College Park. In which building is this? I want to avoid it while walking to class.
alejandro15187 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
For some reason I'm scared of that thing.

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