Magnetorotational Instability (MRI) has long been considered a possible mechanism to transport angular momentum allowing fast accretion in astrophysical objects, but its standard form with a vertical magnetic field has never been experimentally verified. The authors present an experimental demonstration of a spring-mass analogue of the standard MRI using water as working fluid and a spring to mimic the action of magnetic fields.
- Derek M. H. Hung
- Eric G. Blackman
- Hantao Ji