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Solar and stellar dynamos – latest developments
Author(s) -
Brandenburg A.,
Dobler W.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
astronomische nachrichten
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.394
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-3994
pISSN - 0004-6337
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3994(200208)323:3/4<411::aid-asna411>3.0.co;2-h
Subject(s) - dynamo , physics , dynamo theory , magnetic helicity , astrophysics , solar dynamo , statistical physics , field (mathematics) , stellar magnetic field , magnetic field , theoretical physics , classical mechanics , solar wind , coronal mass ejection , quantum mechanics , mathematics , pure mathematics
Recent progress in the theory of solar and stellar dynamos is reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on the mean‐field theory which tries to describe the collective behavior of the magnetic field. In order to understand solar and stellar activity, a quantitatively reliable theory is necessary. Much of the new developments center around magnetic helicity conservation which is seen to be important in numerical simulations. Only a dynamical, explicitly time dependent theory of α ‐quenching is able to describe this behavior correctly.