Overview
Research Interests
Theories of convection and waves in rotating systems; Generation and dynamics of planetary and stellar magnetic fields;Hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic instabilities in rapidly rotating systems; Shape, gravity and internal structure of rotating planets; Large-scale numerical simulations for planetary and astrophysical systems.
Bio
Professor Keke Zhang obtained his B.Sc. in 1982 from University of Nanjing, China. He then obtained his M.Sc. in 1985 and his Ph.D in 1987, under the supervision of Professor F. H. Busse, from University of California, Los Angeles, USA. His main areas of expertise are the theories of convection, waves and magnetohydrodynamic instabilities in rotating systems, planetary and solar dynamos and large-scale numerical simulations for planetary and astrophysical systems. His active research has led to many scientific publications in refereed journals, as well as to a Cambridge University Monograph on Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, [Theory and Modelling of Rotating Fluids, Zhang and Liao, published by Cambridge University Press in 2017. He is Fellow of American Geophysical Union, Fellow of Royal Astronomical Socienty and Director of Center for Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics at Exeter and has served as an Editor_in_Chief for Journal of Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors (Impact factor 2.5) 2004--2014.
Professor Keke Zhang is the author of over 180 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals including Nature, Science, Physical Review Letter, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, Physics of Fluid, Journal of Geophysical Research, Astrophysical Journal, SIAM Journal on Numerical Analysis and Journal of Mathematical Physics. Below is a list of his selected publications:
Selected Publications
Zhang, K., K., Chan and X. Liao (2014) On precessing flow in an oblate spheroid of arbitrary eccentricity. Journal of Fluid Mechanics 743, 358--384
Zhang, K., Chan, K., X. Liao, and J. M. Aurnou (2013) The non-resonant response of fluid in a rapidly rotating sphere undergoing longitudinal libration. J. Fluid Mechanics, 720, 212--235.
Zhang, K., Chan, K. and X. Liao (2012) Asymptotic theory of resonant flow
in a spheroidal cavity driven by latitudinal libration. J. Fluid Mechanics 692, 420--445.
Liao, X. and Zhang, K. , (2012) On flow in weakly precessing cylinders:
the general asymptotic solution. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 709, 610--621.
Kong, D., Zhang, K., , Schubert, G. (2012) On the variation of zonal gravity
coefficients of a giant planet caused by its deep zonal flows. Astrophy. J. 748, 143
Zhang, K., Chan, K. and X. Liao (2011) On fluid motion in librating ellipsoids
with moderate equatorial eccentricity. J. Fluid Mechanics, 673, 468--479
Zhan, X., Zhang, K. and R. Zhu (2011) A full-sphere convection-driven
dynamo: implications for the ancient geomagnetic field. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 187:328--335.
Kong, D. Zhang, K. and G. Schubert (2010) Shapes of two-layer models of
rotating planets. Geophy. Research. 115, E12003
Zhang, K., Chan, K. and Liao X. (2010) On fluid flows in precessing spheres
in the mantle frame of reference. Physics of Fluid. 22, 116604
Zhang, K., D. Kong and X. Liao (2010) On fluid flows in precessing narrow annular channels:
asymptotic analysis and numerical simulation. J. Fluid Mech. 656, 116--146.
Liao X. and Zhang, K. (2010) A new Legendre-type polynomial and its
application to geostrophic flow in rotating fluid spheres. Proc R. Soc. Lond.466: 2203--2217.
Zhang, K. and Liao, X. (2009) The onset of convection in rotating circular
cylinders with experimental boundary conditions. J. Fluid Mech. 622, 63-73.
Liao X. and Zhang, K., and (2009) A new integral property of inertial waves in
rotating fluid spheres. Proc R. Soc. Lond. 465: 1075-1091.
Dai, Z., Zhang, K., Liao, X. and Schubert, G. (2008) Hydrothermal convection in moderately thin spherical shells. Physical Rev. Lett. 101, 028501.
Zhang, K. and Liao, X. (2008) On the initial value problem in a rotating
circular cylinder. Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 610, 425--443.
Zhang, K., Liao, X., Zhan, X. and Zhu, R. (2007) Nonlinear convection in
rotating systems: Slip-stick travelling waves. Phys. Review E 75, 055302.
Zhang, K., Liao, X. and Busse, F.H. (2007) Asymptotic solutions of convection
in rapidly rotating non-slip spheres. J. Fluid Mech. 578, 371-380.
Zhang, K., Liao, X. and Busse, F.H. (2007) Asymptotic theory of inertial convection
in a rotating cylinder. J. Fluid Mech. 575, 449-471.
Zhang, K., Liao, X. and Schubert G. (2005) Pore water convection within carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies: Temperature-dependent viscosity and flow structure. Physics of Fluids, 17, 086602.
Zhang, K., Liao, X. and Earnshaw, P. (2004) On inertial waves and oscillations
in a rapidly rotating fluid spheroid. J. Fluid Mech. 504:1-40.
Zhang, K., Weeks, M. and Roberts, P.H. (2004) Effect of electrically conducting walls on rotating magnetoconvection. Physics of Fluid, 16, 2023-2032.
Zhang, K. and Liao, X. (2004) A new asymptotic method for the analysis of
convection in a rapidly rotating sphere. J. Fluid Mech. 518, 319-346.
Zhang, K., Liao X., and Schubert G. (2004) A sandwich interface dynamo:
linear dynamo waves in the Sun. Astrophys. J. 602, 468-480.
Zhang, K., Liao, X. and Earnshaw, P. (2004) The Poincare equation: A new
polynomial and its unusual properties. J. Mathematical Physics. 45:4777-4790.
Zhang, K., Liao, X. and Schubert, G.(2003) Non-axisymmetric instabilities
of a toroidal magnetic field. Astrophys J. 36, 1124-1137.
Zhang, K., Chan, K. H., Zou, J., Liao, X., and Schubert G. (2003)
A three-dimensional spherical nonlinear interface dynamo. Astrophys. J. 596, 663-679.
Zhang, K. and Schubert, G. (2002) From penetrative convection to
teleconvection. Astrophys. J. 572, 461-276.
Zhang, K., Earnshaw, P., Liao, X., Busse, F.H. (2001) On inertial waves in a
rotating fluid sphere. J. Fluid Mech. 437, 103-119.
Zhang, K. and Gubbins, D. (2000) Scale disparities and
magnetohydrodynamics in the Earth's core. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 358, 899-920.
Zhang, K. and D. Gubbins, D. (2000) Is the geodynamo process intrinsically unstable?
Geophysical Journal International, 140:F1-F4.
Zhang, K. and Schubert, G. (2000) Magnetohydrodynamics in rapidly rotating
spherical systems. Ann. Review Fluid Mech. 32:411-445.
Zhang, K. (1999) Nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic convective flows in the
Earth's fluid core. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 111:93-105.
Zhang, K. and Jones, C. A. (1997) The effect of hyperviscosity on geodynamo
models. Geophysical Research Letters. 24, 2869-2872.
Zhang, K. and Roberts, P. H. (1997) Thermal inertial waves in a rotating fluid
layer: exact and asymptotic Solutions. Physics of Fluid. 9, 1980-1987.
Zhang, K. and Schubert, G. (1997) On linear penetrative spherical rotating
convection. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences. 54(21), 2509-2518.
Zhang, K. and Jones, C.A. (1996) On small Roberts number
magnetoconvection in rapidly rotating systems. Proc R. Soc. Lond. 452, 981-995.
Zhang, K. and Gubbins, D. (1996) Convection in a rotating spherical
fluid shell with inhomogeneous temperature boundary conditions. Physics of Fluid. 8, 1141-1148.
Zhang, K. and Schubert, G. (1996) Penetrative convection and zonal flow on
Jupiter. Science, 273, 941-943.
Zhang, K. (1995) On coupling between the Poincar\'{e} equation and the heat
equation: non-slip boundary condition. J. Fluid Mech. 284, 239-256.
Zhang, K. (1995) Spherical shell rotating convection in the presence of
toroidal magnetic field. Proc R. Soc. Lond. 448, 245-268.
Zhang, K. and Busse, F. H. (1995) On hydromagnetic instabilities
driven by the Hartmann boundary layer in a rapidly rotating sphere. J. Fluid Mech. 304, 363-283.
Zhang, K. and Schubert, G. (1995) Spatial symmetry breaking in rapidly
rotating convective spherical shells. Geophysical Research Letters. 22, 1265-1268.
Zhang, K. (1994) On coupling between the Poincar\'{e} equation and the heat
equation. J. Fluid Mech. 268, 211-229.
Zhang, K. and Jones, C. A. (1994) Convective motions in the Earth's fluid core.
Geophysical Research Letters. 21, 1939-1942.
Zhang, K. and Gubbins, D. (1993) Convection in a rotating spherical
fluid shell with inhomogeneous temperature boundary conditions at infinite Prandtl number. J. Fluid Mech., 250, 209-232.
Zhang, K. (1993) On equatorially trapped boundary inertial waves.
J. Fluid Mech. 248, 203-217.
Zhang, K. and Gubbins, D. (1993) Nonlinear aspects of core-mantle
interaction. Geophysical Research Letters. 20, 2969-2972.
Zhang, K. and Fearn, D. (1993) How strong is the invisible component of the
magnetic field in the Earth's core? Geophysical Research Letters. 20, 2083-2088.
Zhang, K. (1992) Spiralling columnar convection in rapidly rotating spherical
fluid shells. J. Fluid Mech. 236, 535-556.
Zhang, K. (1991) Parameterized rotating convection for core and planetary
atmosphere dynamics. Geophysical Research Letters. 18, 685-689.
Zhang, K. (1991) Vacillatory convection in a rotating spherical fluid shell at
infinite Prandtl number. J. Fluid Mech. 228, 607-628.
Zhang, K. and Busse, F. (1989) Convection driven magnetohydrodynamic
dynamos in rotating spherical shells. Geophys. and Astrophys. Fluid Dyn. 49, 97-116.
Zhang, K. and Busse, F. (1987) On the onset of convection in rotating
spherical shells. Geophys. and Astrophys. Fluid Dyn. 39, 119-147.
