Geometric and Field Theoretic Methods for Astro-, Geo-, and Bio-physical Fluids

Organizers:

B Helen Burgess, University of St. Andrews
*James Cho, Flatiron Institute
Albion Lawrence, Brandeis University
Jane Wang, Cornell University

Astrophysical, geophysical, and biophysical fluids are rapidly developing, high-impact fields with a wealth of new data, computational challenges, and conceptual puzzles. Outstanding problems in these fields include investigating new fluid analogues for gravitational systems and quantum fields, modeling atmospheres of tidally-locked exoplanets, understanding climate response to active tracers, predicting the scale and strength of jets, vortices, and magnetic islands in geophysical and astrophysical fluids, and understanding the interaction between flow and structure in bio-locomotion. Such “real-universe” systems can reside in parameter regimes (eg. strong rotation, stratification, viscosity, or magnetization) that allow analytical control. They are thus amenable to quantitatively accurate applications of modern geometric and field-theoretic techniques, such as asymptotic methods for path integrals, renormalization group and effective field theory approaches, generalized symmetries, holographiç “gauge/gravity” duality, geometric phases, and topologically protected excitations. Many of these field-theoretic techniques have seen significant recent advances, presenting opportunities to develop their applications to fluid systems. In return, specific fluid systems can also provide a context for new formal developments in classical, quantum, and statistical field theories. Hence, the goal of this workshop is to bring together an interdisciplinary group of scientists studying astrophysical and geophysical fluid dynamics, climate science, theoretical fluid and plasma physics, biological physics, turbulence, and field theory to form new connections that will drive these fields forward.

*organizer responsible for participant diversity