Scientific Program

The existence of a macroscopic magnetic field in natural systems is a long standing problem since the first scientific letter "Epistele de magnete" by Pierre de Maricourt (1270) . Numerous explanations  have been proposed through the ages but gradually they were disproved and the dynamo theory stay the only serious one. After 50 years of  unfruitful research, a complete numerical solution to the Elsasser equations (1995) and two experiments (2000) proved the existence of this phenomena of self induction of magnetic field from the motion of an electrically conducting fluid. We are now reaching a stage where these first results are understood in a more general theory, they are generalised by new numerical results, questionned by new questions. However, despite many experimental attempts, we have not been able to sparkle dynamo action in other - less trivial - configurations so far. This constitutes an important missing link on the way to understand the complexity of natural systems, planets, stars or galaxies, while their observation brings more and more details.

This summer school of four weeks wants to educate a new generation of researchers dealing with all aspects of dynamos (universe sciences, mathematical and physical approaches). Accompanying four general lecturers, active researchers will come to give specialised lectures for a few days. To the end, physicists, geophysicists and astrophysicists should  be able to face new questions to orientate dynamo research for the next few years.

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General lectures

• Fundamentals in Magneto-Hydro Dynamics, Thierry ALBOUSSIERE, Observatoire de Grenoble, Université Joseph Fourier, France.
  
• Dynamo Theory, Chris JONES, Department of mathematics, Univesity of Leeds, UK.
  
• Planetary Dynamos, Peter OLSON, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, USA.
  
• Astrophysical dynamos, Anvar SHUKUROV, Astrophysics, University of Newcastle, UK.
  

Specialized lectures

• Stellar dynamos, Steve TOBIAS, Applied Maths, Leeds, UK.
• Experimental dynamos, Peter FRICK, Institute of Continuous Media Mechanics, Perm, Russia.
• Astrophysical numerical dynamos, Alexander SCHEKOCHIHIN, DAMTP/Imperial college, UK.
• Models of  the geomagnetic field, Andy JACKSON,  ETH, Zurick, Switzerland.
• Astrophysical magnetic fields, Kandaswamy SUBRAMANIAN,  Inter-University for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, India.
• Convection and turbulence in stars, Juri TOOMRE, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA.
• Numerical modelling of  planetary dynamos, Gary GLATZMAIER, University of  California, Santa Cruz, USA.
• Numerical modelling of  liquid metal dynamo experiments, Yannick PONTY,  Observatoire de la cote d'azur, Nice, France
• Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, Andre THESS, Ilmenau University of Technology, Germany.
• Numerical models of the geodynamo, Akira KAGEYAMA, Earth simulator center, JAMSTEC, Japan.
• Energetics of  planetary dynamos, Andreas TILGNER,   Institute of Geophysics, University of Göttingen, Germany.
• Physics of  planetary cores, Jonathan AURNOU, Earth ans Space Sciences, UCLA, USA.
• Terrestrial magnetism, Gauthier HULOT, Institut de physique du globe de Paris, France.
  
• Planetary magnetospheres, Joachim SAUR, University of Cologne, Germany.
  
• Stellar magnetism, Leon GOLUB,  Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA.
  
• Turbulence and dynamos, Berengère DUBRULLE, SPEC, CEA, France.
• Observation of the solar magnetic field, Alan TITLE, Stanford-Lockheed Institute for Space Research, Palo Alto, USA.
  
• Von Karmàn dynamos, Jean-François PINTON, Ecole Normale supérieure de Lyon, France

Application

Applications must reach the School before March 3, 2007 in order to be considered by the selection committee. The full cost per participant, including housing, meals and the lectures book, is 1500 euros. Thanks to financial support by various funding agencies, a contribution of only 900 euros/particpants is requested. A few additional grants will be available.

Application forms can be downloaded here: rtf format pdf format

Les Houches is a resort village in the Chamonix valley in the French Alps. Established in 1951, the Physics School is located in a group of chalets surrounded by meadows and woods, at an altitude of 1150 m facing the Mont-Blanc range - a very favourable environment for intellectual activity in ideal surroundings for hiking, mountaineering and sight-seeing.

The Physics School is affiliated with Université Joseph Fourier and Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, and is supported by the Ministère de l'Education Nationale, de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and by the Direction des Sciences de la Matière du Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA/DSM).