I am a Ph.D. student working on the three-dimensional structure and the longevity of the Great Red Spot. My academic journey began at Sun Yat-Sen University, where I earned a B.Eng. degree in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. Throughout my undergraduate years, I had the chance to explore a range of research subjects. I delved into optimizing methods for detecting structural damage and also immersed myself in simulating two-dimensional Rayleigh-Bénard convection. This latter experience notably sparked my interest in computational fluid dynamics. Parallel to my academic pursuits, I’ve enjoyed stargazing as a hobby since my middle school days. Fortunately, my path led me to the CFD lab at UC Berkeley, where my two passions seamlessly fusion into research projects that perfectly align with my interests.
My current research interest revolves around the application of fluid dynamics techniques to unravel the underlying physics in geophysical and astrophysical challenges. For instance, consider the Great Red Spot (GRS) on Jupiter – a persistent anticyclone within its atmosphere. I have developed our group’s home-grown pseudo-spectral-method-based code to handle the complexities of Jupiter’s atmosphere. This encompasses its notable compressibility (referred to as anelastic flow in fluid terminology) and encompasses phenomena that span a broad range of timescales from minutes to days. I have been using this versatile simulation package to simulate the GRS immersed by an observation-based Jovian atmosphere.
Outside of academic research, I enjoy hiking and photography. My camera often points toward the sky, capturing some pretty cool astronomy stuff. There’s something magical about those celestial moments. Let me share a couple of photos with you. First up, we have the Venus transit on June 6th, 2012, snapped in Guangzhou, China. The second shot is from the total solar eclipse on August 17th, 2017, taken in Madras, Oregon. Those were definitely some amazing sights. I’ve set my sights on catching another Venus transit, which is conveniently scheduled for the year 2117. So, you know, as long as I find the secret to living for another century, I’ll be there with my camera! 😉
For more information, please visit my personal site.
Contact: aidi_zhang@berkeley.edu
Selected Publications:
- Zhang, Aidi, and Philip Marcus. “Longevity of Stratified Anticyclones with Thermal Dissipation and Cyclones with Viscous Dissipation and Their Relevance to Jupiter.” APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts. 2021.
- Zhang, A. and Marcus, P., 2019. How the Great Red Spot of Jupiter Stays Alive while Losing Energy through Viscous and Radiative Dissipation. Bulletin of the American Physical Society.
- Marcus, Philip, and Aidi Zhang. “Vertical Aspect Ratios and Longevities of Complex Vortices and the Application to GFD Flows and Astrophysical Vortices.” Bulletin of the American Physical Society 66 (2021).
- Marcus, Philip S., et al. “On the Shedding of Jupiter’s Red Flakes.” AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. Vol. 2019. 2019.
- Marcus, Philip, et al. “The Shedding of Jupiter’s Red Flakes Does Not Mean It Is Dying.” APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts. 2019.
- YIN, Z., ZHANG, A. et.al., 2017. Structure damage detection based on improved big bang-bigcrunch algorithm. Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni, (6), p.16.
Research at CFD Lab with Prof. Marcus:
Full-Length Articles
(2024) Stable three-dimensional vortex families consistent with Jovian observations including the Great Red Spot, Journal of Fluid Mechanics 984, p. A61, url, doi:10.1017/jfm.2024.132
Conference Papers/Abstracts
(2024) The Transition of a Stable Vortex from Hollow to Non-Hollow to Unstable - such as Jupiter's Great Red Spot, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts, p. C31-002, url
(2023) Stable 3-Dimensional Vortex Families Consistent with Jovian Observations Including the Great Red Spot, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts, url
(2023) Three-Dimensional Vortex Families Consistent with Jovian Observations Including the Great Red Spot, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, p. P23C-3073, url
(2023) Numerical Study of Stable Planetary Three-dimensional Vortices with a Hollow Vorticity Core, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts, p. X27-007, url
(2023) The Big Effects of Small Vertical Velocities on the Structures of 3D Rapidly-Rotating, Stratified Planetary Vortices, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts, p. L39-012, url
(2022) Gravity Signatures of Stable, Equilibrial 3D Great Red Spot Solutions Consistent with Observed Cloud-Level Velocities, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, url
(2022) Hydrodynamic stability constraints on the three-dimensional structure of planetary vortices, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts, p. T11-008, url
(2022) The Creation of 3D Zonal Flows, their Spacings, Rhines Scaling, Turbulence, and Inverse Cascades in Atmospheres and Oceans, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts, p. J33-010, url
(2021) Vertical Aspect Ratios and Longevities of Complex Vortices and the Application to GFD Flows and Astrophysical Vortices, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts, p. H24-009, url
(2021) Longevity of Stratified Anticyclones with Thermal Dissipation and Cyclones with Viscous Dissipation and Their Relevance to Jupiter, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts, p. T11011, url
(2019) How the Great Red Spot of Jupiter Stays Alive while Losing Energy through Viscous and Radiative Dissipation, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts, p. B13–004, pdf
(2019) The Shedding of Jupiter's Red Flakes Does Not Mean It Is Dying, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts, p. L13–001, pdf
(2019) On the Shedding of Jupiter's Red Flakes, AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2019, p. P13B–3505, url