  The magnetorotational instability (MRI) plays a key role in the formation of
stars and black holes, by enabling outward angular momentum transport in
accretion disks. The use of combined axial and azimuthal magnetic fields allows
the investigation of this effect in liquid metal flows at moderate Reynolds and
Hartmann numbers. A variety of experimental results is presented showing
evidence for the occurrence of the MRI in a Taylor-Couette flow using the
liquid metal alloy GaInSn.
