Cross Disciplinary Feasibility Account: Warwick Centre for Fusion Space and Astrophysics.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
A central idea that we wish to pursue is the dynamic response of real world complex systems to 'shock or surprise'. Both the brain and financial systems (meaning markets, individual companies or sectors), are functionally comprised of many interacting elements which propagate and process information. A highly topical question is whether it is possible to quantify from available data when the response of a system to a 'shock' will be within normal bounds (normal response time to a neurological test task, a fluctuation in price) or will be highly correlated and catastrophic (a seizure, a stock market crash or company failure). Understanding this would lead to paradigm shifting insights into both brain function and financial system dynamics. Researchers within Warwick's interdisciplinary EPSRC and STFC funded Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics (CFSA) have pioneered techniques to analyse 'real world' data from laboratory experiments for Magnetic Confinement Fusion and from astrophysical plasmas. These plasma systems can exhibit rather unpredictable 'bursty' behaviour and can self organise, that is, show large scale transitions from disordered to highly ordered, correlated behaviour. We propose to apply these ideas to focus on two cross-disciplinary 'grand challenges': brain function, and market dynamics, as captured by Magnetoencephalography (MEG) measurements of the brain, and by financial and other company data. This implies a high degree of cross- disciplinary working, between plasma physicists within CFSA, Warwick, neurologists within the MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, and strategists within the Warwick Business School.In the framework of the physical sciences there is a direct and well understood mapping between quantifying such systems and modelling them. An open question that we will address is how such a mapping can be rigorously and usefully applied in the wider context. By building bridges between traditionally segregated disciplines (neuroscience, econometrics and plasma physics) we can tackle substantive interdisciplinary questions, for example, in what sense is a market crash like an epileptic seizure in the brain? Addressing such questions in a quantitative and predictive manner has the potential for far reaching impact in both clinical neuroscience and econometrics. This radical approach will enable physical models to be extended beyond their now mature application to contribute, and perhaps create, a far broader interface with the wider social sciences.
Planned Impact
The nature of the work being undertaken is highly speculative but has potential for far reaching impact. Clearly, any advance in our understanding of the response of financial markets and systems to 'shocks', or a diagnostic of neurological health based on non-invasive MEG technology will have the potential to make significant contributions to EPSRC's priority themes of security of energy supply and living with environmental change, and next generation healthcare. Who will benefit from the research and how will they benefit from this research? Development of new quantitative tools to assess how brain systems process information in healthy and disordered states will be of considerable interest to clinical neuroscience and psychiatry. Ultimately, quantitative insights into how MEG data relate to human brain function would lead to methods to diagnose cognitive function and disorders, with particular application to epilepsy and schizophrenia. The economic and social costs of brain disorders associated with impaired cognitive function and poor occupational performance are substantial. The annual costs of schizophrenia alone are estimated to be in the order of 7bn annually in the UK, of which about 2bn is due to direct healthcare costs. In tackling these disorders therapeutically, a key objective is to develop better models for how distributed brain systems normally process information and how pathological disruption of these systems can lead to impairment. The development of quantitative approaches to MEG that we propose would ensure that full scientific value is obtained from the major recent investments in neuroimaging infrastructure and it will potentially provide new diagnostic and predictive biomarkers of cognitive impairment that could be used to improve patient care and to support development of new pro-cognitive drugs. The importance of the proposed research from this perspective is that it includes data on well-established cognitive testing paradigms in healthy volunteers and people with schizophrenia. This means that the results will be immediately of interest to academic and industrial neuroscientists with potential for major impact on how cognitive disorders are understood theoretically and approached therapeutically. Quantifying the likely impact of news or events on markets and companies again has clear application to their monitoring and management. The current instability has cost some 475bn globally according to the IMF. Clearly any successful mitigation techniques would be valuable to business strategists and organisations from single investors to Governments (eg Risk Analysts, Company Director mentors, Financial strategists and Central Banks). There is also potentially a significant feedback to plasma physics based challenges in particular space weather applications and to understanding enhanced confinement modes of MCF with relevance to ITER operating regimes. What will be done to ensure that they benefit from this research? Cognitive researchers are typically also practicing clinicians, and business strategists in academia work closely with companies. Results and ideas flowing from this research would therefore quickly flow into potential applications where appropriate. We will also present and promote our results more formally at workshops open to practicing clinicians and to practicing business strategists. We will engage the wider community and press where appropriate. Warwick Ventures have a strategy and procedure in place to effect licensing and dissemination to the wider business community. There is also direct benefit to the training of young researchers and enhancement of interdisciplinary activity. We will provide training and introduction to patents, licensing and spin- out companies to the researchers supported on this grant.
Organisations
Publications
Meyrand R
(2016)
Direct Evidence of the Transition from Weak to Strong Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence.
in Physical review letters
Murawski K
(2011)
Entropy mode at a magnetic null point as a possible tool for indirect observation of nanoflares in the solar corona
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Nakariakov V
(2010)
Oscillatory processes in solar flares
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Nakariakov V
(2011)
SLOW MAGNETOACOUSTIC WAVES IN TWO-RIBBON FLARES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Nakariakov V
(2019)
Non-stationary quasi-periodic pulsations in solar and stellar flares
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Nakariakov V
(2019)
Properties of Slow Magnetoacoustic Oscillations of Solar Coronal Loops by Multi-instrumental Observations
in The Astrophysical Journal
Nakariakov V
(2009)
The possible role of vortex shedding in the excitation of kink-mode oscillations in the solar corona
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Nakariakov V
(2010)
QUASI-PERIODIC PULSATIONS IN THE GAMMA-RAY EMISSION OF A SOLAR FLARE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Nakariakov V
(2012)
SAUSAGE OSCILLATIONS OF CORONAL PLASMA STRUCTURES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Nakariakov V
(2009)
Quasi-Periodic Pulsations in Solar Flares
in Space Science Reviews
Nardon E
(2009)
Edge localized mode control experiments on MAST using resonant magnetic perturbations from in-vessel coils
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Nicol R
(2010)
The crossover to the "1/f" region of solar wind fluctuations
Nicol R
(2009)
Evolving magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the quiet fast solar wind
in 36th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2009, EPS 2009 - Europhysics Conference Abstracts
Nicol R
(2009)
QUANTIFYING THE ANISOTROPY AND SOLAR CYCLE DEPENDENCE OF "1/ f " SOLAR WIND FLUCTUATIONS OBSERVED BY ADVANCED COMPOSITION EXPLORER
in The Astrophysical Journal
Nicol RM
(2012)
Fast reconfiguration of high-frequency brain networks in response to surprising changes in auditory input.
in Journal of neurophysiology
Nisticò G
(2013)
Decaying and decayless transverse oscillations of a coronal loop
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Ochoukov R
(2019)
Interpretation of core ion cyclotron emission driven by sub-Alfvénic beam-injected ions via magnetoacoustic cyclotron instability
in Nuclear Fusion
Ochoukov R
(2019)
Core plasma ion cyclotron emission driven by fusion-born ions
in Nuclear Fusion
Orr L
(2021)
Network community structure of substorms using SuperMAG magnetometers.
in Nature communications
Orr L
(2021)
Wavelet and Network Analysis of Magnetic Field Variation and Geomagnetically Induced Currents During Large Storms
in Space Weather
Orr L
(2019)
Directed Network of Substorms Using SuperMAG Ground-Based Magnetometer Data
in Geophysical Research Letters
Osman K
(2014)
Magnetic Reconnection and Intermittent Turbulence in the Solar Wind
in Physical Review Letters
Osman K
(2014)
ANISOTROPIC INTERMITTENCY OF MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Osman K
(2015)
MULTI-SPACECRAFT MEASUREMENT OF TURBULENCE WITHIN A MAGNETIC RECONNECTION JET
in The Astrophysical Journal
Description | please see the relevant research papers |
Exploitation Route | please see the relevant research papers and grants |
Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Environment,Financial Services, and Management Consultancy,Healthcare |
Description | please see the relevant research papers |
First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
Sector | Energy,Environment,Financial Services, and Management Consultancy |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | AFOSR |
Amount | $100,000 (USD) |
Funding ID | FA9550-17-1-0054 |
Organisation | Airforce Office of Scientific Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | United States |
Start | 03/2017 |
End | 03/2018 |
Description | Fulbright-Lloyd's of London Scholarship 2017/18 |
Amount | $60,000 (USD) |
Organisation | US-UK Fulbright Commission |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2017 |
End | 09/2018 |
Description | NORKLIMA |
Amount | kr 900,000 (NOK) |
Organisation | Research Council of Norway |
Sector | Public |
Country | Norway |
Start | 01/2014 |
End | 01/2016 |
Description | Newton-CONICYT |
Amount | $1,438,000 (CLP) |
Organisation | Newton Fund |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2015 |
End | 10/2016 |