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Axisymmetric field generation within an ambient axial field
Author(s) -
Darah A. A.,
Sarson G. R.
Publication year - 2007
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/asna.200610663
Subject(s) - dynamo , physics , dynamo theory , magnetic field , field (mathematics) , rotational symmetry , field strength , classical mechanics , mercury's magnetic field , mechanics , symmetry (geometry) , computational physics , l shell , geometry , earth's magnetic field , quantum mechanics , mathematics , pure mathematics
The generation of magnetic field in a homogeneous, electrically conducting fluid – as required for the dynamo generation of the fields of many astrophysical bodies – is normally a threshold process; the dynamo mechanism, applicable to such bodies in unmagnetised environments, requires motions of sufficient strength to overcome the innate magnetic diffusion. In the presence of an ambient field, however, the critical nature of the field generation process is relaxed. Motions can distort and amplify the ambient field for all amplitudes of flow. For motions with appropriate geometries, an internal ‘dynamo‐like’ field of appreciable strength can be generated, even for relatively weak flows. At least a minority of planets, moons and other bodies exist within significant external astrophysical fields. For these bodies, the ambient field problem is more relevant than the classical dynamo problem, yet it remains relatively little studied. In this paper we consider the effect of an axial ambient field on a spherical mean‐field α 2 ω dynamo model, through nonlinear calculations with α ‐quenching feedback. Ambient fields of varying strengths, and both stationary and oscillatory in time, are imposed. Particular focus is placed on the effects of these fields on the equatorial symmetry and the time dependence of the preferred solutions. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)