STFC: Samuel D. Walton: 2062533 Near-Earth space holds two major surprises that scientists are yet to understand, one of which is the Van Allen Radiation Belts. As an astrophysical object, the Earth's magnetosphere would seem to be a rather small and insignificant item bathed by the wind that emanates from the Sun. However, this space contains an exotic zoo of high energy particles and electromagnetic waves that pose a significant hazard to space exploration. In the solar wind, the Earth's magnetic field is altered such that its bar magnet field becomes a bullet-shaped cavity that shields the Earth from the harmful output from the Sun. Only in specific circumstances can the solar wind penetrate this shield, and it is under these circumstances that the Earth's space environment becomes the most interesting and dynamic. The Earth's Radiation Belts were discovered by James Van Allen some 50 years ago quite by chance. These belts are doughnut-shaped regions of high-energy particle radiation trapped by Earth's magnetic field. These electrons are energised to significant fractions of the speed of light but as yet, scientists can offer no definitive explanation for how they are accelerated to such high energies. Since the discovery of the radiation belts, scientists have linked the acceleration and resultant loss of these electrons to the impact of large geomagnetic storms caused by explosive output from the Sun (such as Coronal Mass Ejections) on near-Earth space. However, no conclusive evidence has been put forward which can adequately explain this link. Understanding how these electrons are accelerated to very high energies (and then lost) is of critical importance to the exploitation of near-Earth space for human and technological gain. Most communication and military satellites must orbit through this harsh radiation environment. In fact, several satellite failures have been attributed to component failure during geomagnetic storms. It is essential, therefore, to monitor this "space weather" in order to protect the multi-billion pound space industry. This placement will be taken by Samuel Walton under the guidance of Professor Ian Mann, and will focus on the energetic electron dynamics in the Van Allen Radiation Belts from a long-lasting NASA spacecraft mission and, coupled with another NASA mission, be able to understand the dynamics of the radiation belts from the relative safety of low-earth orbit using novel techniques developed at the University of Alberta. The proposed project is therefore the natural culmination of methods and ideas developed separately in the UK and Canada, to advance our understanding of Van Allen radiation belt dynamics, improving current models and ultimately improving our ability to predict the behaviour.

The synthesis of conjugated polyynes is a genuine scientific challenge nowadays. Although several methods have been reported over the last decades, diverse and efficient methods for the synthesis of compounds bearing more than two conjugated CC triple bonds remain inadequate. In this project, we propose to use alkyne metathesis as a new "soft" and expedient method for the synthesis of triynes, tetraynes, pentaynes and beyond. On the basis of promising preliminary results obtained with triynes, we proposed new catalysts that are designed to control the selectivity towards the targeted polyynes. After evaluating the scope and limitations of our methodology, it will be applied to the synthesis of polyynes that are currently inaccessible with known methods in the field of physical organic chemistry. An ultimate goal of the project is the synthesis of C24, a cyclic allotrope of carbon.

EPSRC: Thomas Robinson: EP/S023070/1 Static mixers are solid structures that can be inserted into process piping to homogenise a fluid flow as it passes through it. This means that at any point in the pipe, the fluid is the same as at any other point. Currently, multiple different designs of static mixer exist, and the two most eminent static mixers are the Chemineer KM mixer and the Sulzer SMX mixer. These came to prominence in the early 1980s and most sold static mixers are derivative of these two designs. As part of my Chemical Engineering Master's thesis at the University of Birmingham, I worked with CALGAVIN LTD on the design of a brand-new static mixer design and compared it against those current market leaders. To assess the capabilities of this design we employed the use of Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF). Put simply, if a mixture of two separate fluids is pumped into the inlet of static mixer, at the outlet of the mixer, the two fluids will have become more mixed. If you add a dye that fluoresces under laser light to one of the initial fluids, you can shine a laser at the outlet of the static mixer to make the dye give off light. This light can be captured with a camera and generates an image that shows the distribution of the fluid in the pipe after mixing. By doing some post-processing and calibration, the exact concentration of each fluid can be calculated from this image as well as a value for how mixed it is. Different static mixers and different flow conditions (temperatures, viscosities, velocity, etc...) can be tested and compared to find which static mixer offers the best mixing. The PLIF research validated the new static mixer and showed it has promise against the KM-type and SMX-type mixers. This PLIF technique can be used to rapidly iterate a new static mixer design but it has inherent downsides. Like when mixing squash and water, they cannot be unmixed. It is the same with the PLIF experiments, the test fluids are irreversibly mixed. When this test fluid is expensive, it adds significant costs to experimental testing. To mitigate this expense, this 12-week research project has been proposed. The premise is to use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to run analogous testing in computer simulations. If the simulations can be accurately mapped to the experimental results that have already been taken, it will allow a computer to test multiple small design changes to the static mixer that could never all be tested experimentally. This proposal represents a significant benefit to both the UK and Canadian parties involved. The University of Birmingham and CALGAVIN will gain access to the expertise of the modelling team in the University of Alberta and in return, they will receive world-class experimental data that can be used to hone their simulations to match real work experimentation. The output of this research will, therefore, be higher confidence in more accurate CFD simulation techniques as well as drastically lower development costs of the new static mixer with increased chances of it becoming a viable market product.

"NERC : Emma Louise White : NE/S007512/1" Climate change has disproportionately affected the Arctic, and the recent Sixth Assessment Report from the IPCC states that the Arctic is highly likely to continue warming at twice the average global rate. Outside of Greenland and Antarctica, the melting of glacial ice in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago has made the largest contribution to recent sea-level rise. This makes the Canadian Arctic Archipelago a critical region to understand, yet it remains understudied due to its remoteness. There are over 300 tidewater glaciers in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago which are in contact with the ocean. To understand the recent melting and ice mass loss from these glaciers, it is highly important to understand how the ocean influences them. This work will focus on an area of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago called northern Baffin Bay, which is an important area to understand due to the presence of the two fastest retreating tidewater glaciers in the region. The North Water Polynya is also present in northern Baffin Bay, which is a large area of open water which remains free of sea ice. There is very high primary productivity in this area, and it sustains a large diversity of marine life which has led to it being classified as an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The aim of this work is to improve understanding of ocean circulation in northern Baffin Bay, and the influence that ocean circulation has on melting tidewater glaciers in the region as well as local nutrient distributions. This study will use data from an ocean circulation model, along with a software called ARIANE, to release modelled particles in the vicinity of tidewater glaciers in northern Baffin Bay. These modelled virtual particles will be traced backwards in time, providing information on the origin of the particles and pathways that water follows as it enters the region. Once we have identified these pathways, we will then consider the temperature of water travelling along these pathways, and where warmer water is able to access. In particular, we will assess if warmer, deeper water originating from the Atlantic Ocean is able to reach the tidewater glaciers in the region. This is important to understand, as warmer water is able to drive more melting of glaciers, so it is crucial to understand if warmer Atlantic Water is in contact with tidewater glaciers. We will also consider the nutrients that are supplied to the region by the ocean circulation pathways identified. Phytoplankton are photosynthetic organisms that form the base of many marine food chains, similar to plants. They are found in the surface ocean where there is light availability, and they also require nutrients to grow. Ocean circulation pathways can provide these nutrients to the surface ocean, and it is therefore an important control on primary productivity. Tidewater glaciers can influence the supply of nutrients to the surface ocean because where the glaciers are in contact with the ocean, the freshwater buoyancy input from them can lead to upwelling of deeper, nutrient rich waters towards the surface, where these nutrients can stimulate phytoplankton growth. In summary, the main aims of this work will be to 1) identify pathways of water transport to northern Baffin Bay to improve understanding of ocean circulation in the region; 2) assess the influence of ocean circulation and pathways of warmer water on melting tidewater glaciers; and 3) assess the impact that ocean circulation has on nutrient distributions, and therefore primary productivity.