Sample records for plasma dynamo driven

  1. Turbulent dynamo in a collisionless plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rincon, François; Califano, Francesco; Schekochihin, Alexander A.; Valentini, Francesco

    2016-04-01

    Magnetic fields pervade the entire universe and affect the formation and evolution of astrophysical systems from cosmological to planetary scales. The generation and dynamical amplification of extragalactic magnetic fields through cosmic times (up to microgauss levels reported in nearby galaxy clusters, near equipartition with kinetic energy of plasma motions, and on scales of at least tens of kiloparsecs) are major puzzles largely unconstrained by observations. A dynamo effect converting kinetic flow energy into magnetic energy is often invoked in that context; however, extragalactic plasmas are weakly collisional (as opposed to magnetohydrodynamic fluids), and whether magnetic field growth and sustainment through an efficient turbulent dynamo instability are possible in such plasmas is not established. Fully kinetic numerical simulations of the Vlasov equation in a 6D-phase space necessary to answer this question have, until recently, remained beyond computational capabilities. Here, we show by means of such simulations that magnetic field amplification by dynamo instability does occur in a stochastically driven, nonrelativistic subsonic flow of initially unmagnetized collisionless plasma. We also find that the dynamo self-accelerates and becomes entangled with kinetic instabilities as magnetization increases. The results suggest that such a plasma dynamo may be realizable in laboratory experiments, support the idea that intracluster medium turbulence may have significantly contributed to the amplification of cluster magnetic fields up to near-equipartition levels on a timescale shorter than the Hubble time, and emphasize the crucial role of multiscale kinetic physics in high-energy astrophysical plasmas.

  2. Turbulent dynamo in a collisionless plasma

    PubMed Central

    Rincon, François; Califano, Francesco; Schekochihin, Alexander A.; Valentini, Francesco

    2016-01-01

    Magnetic fields pervade the entire universe and affect the formation and evolution of astrophysical systems from cosmological to planetary scales. The generation and dynamical amplification of extragalactic magnetic fields through cosmic times (up to microgauss levels reported in nearby galaxy clusters, near equipartition with kinetic energy of plasma motions, and on scales of at least tens of kiloparsecs) are major puzzles largely unconstrained by observations. A dynamo effect converting kinetic flow energy into magnetic energy is often invoked in that context; however, extragalactic plasmas are weakly collisional (as opposed to magnetohydrodynamic fluids), and whether magnetic field growth and sustainment through an efficient turbulent dynamo instability are possible in such plasmas is not established. Fully kinetic numerical simulations of the Vlasov equation in a 6D-phase space necessary to answer this question have, until recently, remained beyond computational capabilities. Here, we show by means of such simulations that magnetic field amplification by dynamo instability does occur in a stochastically driven, nonrelativistic subsonic flow of initially unmagnetized collisionless plasma. We also find that the dynamo self-accelerates and becomes entangled with kinetic instabilities as magnetization increases. The results suggest that such a plasma dynamo may be realizable in laboratory experiments, support the idea that intracluster medium turbulence may have significantly contributed to the amplification of cluster magnetic fields up to near-equipartition levels on a timescale shorter than the Hubble time, and emphasize the crucial role of multiscale kinetic physics in high-energy astrophysical plasmas. PMID:27035981

  3. Turbulent dynamo in a collisionless plasma.

    PubMed

    Rincon, François; Califano, Francesco; Schekochihin, Alexander A; Valentini, Francesco

    2016-04-12

    Magnetic fields pervade the entire universe and affect the formation and evolution of astrophysical systems from cosmological to planetary scales. The generation and dynamical amplification of extragalactic magnetic fields through cosmic times (up to microgauss levels reported in nearby galaxy clusters, near equipartition with kinetic energy of plasma motions, and on scales of at least tens of kiloparsecs) are major puzzles largely unconstrained by observations. A dynamo effect converting kinetic flow energy into magnetic energy is often invoked in that context; however, extragalactic plasmas are weakly collisional (as opposed to magnetohydrodynamic fluids), and whether magnetic field growth and sustainment through an efficient turbulent dynamo instability are possible in such plasmas is not established. Fully kinetic numerical simulations of the Vlasov equation in a 6D-phase space necessary to answer this question have, until recently, remained beyond computational capabilities. Here, we show by means of such simulations that magnetic field amplification by dynamo instability does occur in a stochastically driven, nonrelativistic subsonic flow of initially unmagnetized collisionless plasma. We also find that the dynamo self-accelerates and becomes entangled with kinetic instabilities as magnetization increases. The results suggest that such a plasma dynamo may be realizable in laboratory experiments, support the idea that intracluster medium turbulence may have significantly contributed to the amplification of cluster magnetic fields up to near-equipartition levels on a timescale shorter than the Hubble time, and emphasize the crucial role of multiscale kinetic physics in high-energy astrophysical plasmas.

  4. Electrically driving large magnetic Reynolds number flows on the Madison plasma dynamo experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weisberg, David; Wallace, John; Peterson, Ethan; Endrezzi, Douglass; Forest, Cary B.; Desangles, Victor

    2015-11-01

    Electrically-driven plasma flows, predicted to excite a large-scale dynamo instability, have been generated in the Madison plasma dynamo experiment (MPDX), at the Wisconsin Plasma Astrophysics Laboratory. Numerical simulations show that certain topologies of these simply-connected flows may be optimal for creating a plasma dynamo and predict critical thresholds as low as Rmcrit =μ0 σLV = 250 . MPDX plasmas are shown to exceed this critical Rm , generating large (L = 1 . 4 m), warm (Te > 10 eV), unmagnetized (MA > 1) plasmas where Rm < 600 . Plasma flow is driven using ten thermally emissive LaB6 cathodes which generate a J × B torque in Helium plasmas. Detailed Mach probe measurements of plasma velocity for two flow topologies will be presented: edge-localized drive using the multi-cusp boundary field, and volumetric drive using an axial Helmholtz field. Radial velocity profiles show that edge-driven flow is established via ion viscosity but is limited by a volumetric neutral drag force (χ ~ 1 / (ντin)), and measurements of velocity shear compare favorably to Braginskii transport theory. Volumetric flow drive is shown to produce stronger velocity shear, and is characterized by the radial potential gradient as determined by global charge balance.

  5. The Madison plasma dynamo experiment: A facility for studying laboratory plasma astrophysics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooper, C. M.; Wallace, J.; Brookhart, M.; Clark, M.; Collins, C.; Ding, W. X.; Flanagan, K.; Khalzov, I.; Li, Y.; Milhone, J.; Nornberg, M.; Nonn, P.; Weisberg, D.; Whyte, D. G.; Zweibel, E.; Forest, C. B.

    2014-01-01

    The Madison plasma dynamo experiment (MPDX) is a novel, versatile, basic plasma research device designed to investigate flow driven magnetohydrodynamic instabilities and other high-β phenomena with astrophysically relevant parameters. A 3 m diameter vacuum vessel is lined with 36 rings of alternately oriented 4000 G samarium cobalt magnets, which create an axisymmetric multicusp that contains ˜14 m3 of nearly magnetic field free plasma that is well confined and highly ionized (>50%). At present, 8 lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) cathodes and 10 molybdenum anodes are inserted into the vessel and biased up to 500 V, drawing 40 A each cathode, ionizing a low pressure Ar or He fill gas and heating it. Up to 100 kW of electron cyclotron heating power is planned for additional electron heating. The LaB6 cathodes are positioned in the magnetized edge to drive toroidal rotation through J × B torques that propagate into the unmagnetized core plasma. Dynamo studies on MPDX require a high magnetic Reynolds number Rm > 1000, and an adjustable fluid Reynolds number 10 < Re < 1000, in the regime where the kinetic energy of the flow exceeds the magnetic energy (MA2=(v/vA)2>1). Initial results from MPDX are presented along with a 0-dimensional power and particle balance model to predict the viscosity and resistivity to achieve dynamo action.

  6. Precessionally driven dynamos in ellipsoidal geometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ernst-Hullermann, J.; Harder, H.; Hansen, U.

    2013-12-01

    Precession was suggested as an alternative driving mechanism for Earth's and planetary magnetic fields by Bullard in 1949. Recent estimates of the thermal and electrical conductivity of Earth's core even show that the energy budget for buoyancy driven dynamos might be very tight. Therefore it seems worth to consider precession at least as an additional if not the only source of energy for the geodynamo. We are going to investigate precessionally driven dynamos by the use of a Finite Volume code. As precession drives a flow only due to the movement of the boundaries the shape of the container is essential for the character of the flow. In planets, it is much more effective to drive a precessional flow by the pressure differences induced by the topography of the precessing body rather than by viscous coupling to the walls. Numerical simulations are the only method offering the possibility to investigate the influence of the topography since laboratory experiments normally are constrained by the predetermined geometry of the vessel. We discuss how ellipticity of the planets can be included in our simulations by the use of a non-orthogonal grid. We will show that even laminar precession-driven flows are capable to generate a magnetic field. Most of the magnetic energy of this dynamos resides in the outer viscous boundary layer. While at lower Ekman number the kinematic dynamos also have magnetic fields located in the bulk, these diminish in the full magneto-hydrodynamic case. The laminar dynamos may not scale to Earth-like parameters. Nevertheless, with our new method we have the possibility to explore the parameter space much more systematically.

  7. Simulations of plasma dynamo in cylindrical and spherical geometries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khalzov, Ivan; Forest, Cary; Schnack, Dalton; Ebrahimi, Fatima

    2010-11-01

    We have performed the numerical investigation of plasma flow and possibility of dynamo effect in Madison Plasma Couette Experiment (MPCX) and Madison Plasma Dynamo Experiment (MPDX), which are being installed at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. Using the extended MHD code, NIMROD, we have studied several types of plasma flows appropriate for dynamo excitation. Calculations are done for isothermal compressible plasma model including two-fluid effects (Hall term), which is beyond the standard incompressible MHD picture. It is found that for magnetic Reynolds numbers exceeding the critical one the counter-rotating Von Karman flow (in cylinder) and Dudley- James flow (in sphere) result in self-generation of magnetic field. Depending on geometry and plasma parameters this field can either saturate at certain amplitude corresponding to a new stable equilibrium (laminar dynamo) or lead to turbulent dynamo. It is shown that plasma compressibility results in increase of the critical magnetic Reynolds number while two- fluid effects change the level of saturated dynamo field. The work is supported by NSF.

  8. Dynamo-driven plasmoid formation from a current-sheet instability

    DOE PAGES

    Ebrahimi, F.

    2016-12-15

    Axisymmetric current-carrying plasmoids are formed in the presence of nonaxisymmetric fluctuations during nonlinear three-dimensional resistive MHD simulations in a global toroidal geometry. In this study, we utilize the helicity injection technique to form an initial poloidal flux in the presence of a toroidal guide field. As helicity is injected, two types of current sheets are formed from the oppositely directed field lines in the injector region (primary reconnecting current sheet), and the poloidal flux compression near the plasma edge (edge current sheet). We first find that nonaxisymmetric fluctuations arising from the current-sheet instability isolated near the plasma edge have tearingmore » parity but can nevertheless grow fast (on the poloidal Alfven time scale). These modes saturate by breaking up the current sheet. Second, for the first time, a dynamo poloidal flux amplification is observed at the reconnection site (in the region of the oppositely directed magnetic field). This fluctuation-induced flux amplification increases the local Lundquist number, which then triggers a plasmoid instability and breaks the primary current sheet at the reconnection site. Finally, the plasmoids formation driven by large-scale flux amplification, i.e., a large-scale dynamo, observed here has strong implications for astrophysical reconnection as well as fast reconnection events in laboratory plasmas.« less

  9. The Madison plasma dynamo experiment: A facility for studying laboratory plasma astrophysics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cooper, C. M.; Brookhart, M.; Collins, C.

    2014-01-15

    The Madison plasma dynamo experiment (MPDX) is a novel, versatile, basic plasma research device designed to investigate flow driven magnetohydrodynamic instabilities and other high-β phenomena with astrophysically relevant parameters. A 3 m diameter vacuum vessel is lined with 36 rings of alternately oriented 4000 G samarium cobalt magnets, which create an axisymmetric multicusp that contains ∼14 m{sup 3} of nearly magnetic field free plasma that is well confined and highly ionized (>50%). At present, 8 lanthanum hexaboride (LaB{sub 6}) cathodes and 10 molybdenum anodes are inserted into the vessel and biased up to 500 V, drawing 40 A each cathode, ionizing a low pressuremore » Ar or He fill gas and heating it. Up to 100 kW of electron cyclotron heating power is planned for additional electron heating. The LaB{sub 6} cathodes are positioned in the magnetized edge to drive toroidal rotation through J × B torques that propagate into the unmagnetized core plasma. Dynamo studies on MPDX require a high magnetic Reynolds number Rm > 1000, and an adjustable fluid Reynolds number 10 < Re < 1000, in the regime where the kinetic energy of the flow exceeds the magnetic energy (M{sub A}{sup 2}=(v/v{sub A}){sup 2}>1). Initial results from MPDX are presented along with a 0-dimensional power and particle balance model to predict the viscosity and resistivity to achieve dynamo action.« less

  10. Precession Driven Instabilities and Dynamos in the Early Moon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cebron, D.; Laguerre, R.; Noir, J.; Vidal, J.; Schaeffer, N.

    2017-12-01

    The Early Moon magnetic fields are probably due to a strong temporary dynamo, which may be due to lunar precession [1]. However, precession driven dynamos remain badly known, with only few studied cases [2,3,4]. Given the uncertainties of the early Moon precession, wider ranges of parameters need to be explored in order to assess if such lunar dynamos are possible. Using the efficient dynamo code XSHELLS, we have thus performed many simulations of precessing spherical shells, varying the parameters in a systematic way. This allows us to characterize the various excited instabilities, and to propose scaling laws. We also obtain that precession driven dynamos seem scarce and weak in our simulations, which makes difficult and uncertain the extrapolation of these dynamos to the Moon. However, our dynamo simulations, as every other in the literature, neglect the topographic torque effect on instabilities in order to use fast spectral codes [5]. By contrast, the topographic torque is dominant for the lunar core. Before exploring this effect numerically, which is a real challenge, we choose to study it theoretically. To do so, we have developed a novel global linear stability analysis of mechanically-driven flows in triaxial ellipsoids, with leading order viscous effects. Internal dissipation is obtained for the first time by extending the Greenspan's theory (1968) of geostrophic and inertial modes. By contrast with pioneering theories [6], we propose a new linear viscous model valid in arbitrary ellipsoid and for any precessing forcing. Then we perform the linear stability analysis by considering ellipsoidal perturbations of unprecedented spatial complexity with a self-consistent model of viscous damping. We show that forced precession-driven basic flows are bistable in triaxial ellipsoids. Then, we present the first stability analysis of precessing-flows in triaxial ellipsoids. [1] Dwyer et al. (2011), Nature, 479, 212-214.[2] Tilgner (2005), Phy. Fluids, 17, 034104

  11. Feasibility Study for a Plasma Dynamo Facility to Investigate Fundamental Processes in Plasma Astrophysics. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Forest, Cary B.

    The scientific equipment purchased on this grant was used on the Plasma Dynamo Prototype Experiment as part of Professor Forest's feasibility study for determining if it would be worthwhile to propose building a larger plasma physics experiment to investigate various fundamental processes in plasma astrophysics. The initial research on the Plasma Dynamo Prototype Experiment was successful so Professor Forest and Professor Ellen Zweibel at UW-Madison submitted an NSF Major Research Instrumentation proposal titled "ARRA MRI: Development of a Plasma Dynamo Facility for Experimental Investigations of Fundamental Processes in Plasma Astrophysics." They received funding for this project and the Plasma Dynamomore » Facility also known as the "Madison Plasma Dynamo Experiment" was constructed. This experiment achieved its first plasma in the fall of 2012 and U.S. Dept. of Energy Grant No. DE-SC0008709 "Experimental Studies of Plasma Dynamos," now supports the research.« less

  12. A long-lived lunar dynamo driven by continuous mechanical stirring.

    PubMed

    Dwyer, C A; Stevenson, D J; Nimmo, F

    2011-11-09

    Lunar rocks contain a record of an ancient magnetic field that seems to have persisted for more than 400 million years and which has been attributed to a lunar dynamo. Models of conventional dynamos driven by thermal or compositional convection have had difficulty reproducing the existence and apparently long duration of the lunar dynamo. Here we investigate an alternative mechanism of dynamo generation: continuous mechanical stirring arising from the differential motion, due to Earth-driven precession of the lunar spin axis, between the solid silicate mantle and the liquid core beneath. We show that the fluid motions and the power required to drive a dynamo operating continuously for more than one billion years and generating a magnetic field that had an intensity of more than one microtesla 4.2 billion years ago are readily obtained by mechanical stirring. The magnetic field is predicted to decrease with time and to shut off naturally when the Moon recedes far enough from Earth that the dissipated power is insufficient to drive a dynamo; in our nominal model, this occurred at about 48 Earth radii (2.7 billion years ago). Thus, lunar palaeomagnetic measurements may be able to constrain the poorly known early orbital evolution of the Moon. This mechanism may also be applicable to dynamos in other bodies, such as large asteroids.

  13. Measurement of the dynamo effect in a plasma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ji, H.; Prager, S.C.; Almagri, A.F.

    1995-11-01

    A series of the detailed experiments has been conducted in three laboratory plasma devices to measure the dynamo electric field along the equilibrium field line (the {alpha} effect) arising from the correlation between the fluctuating flow velocity and magnetic field. The fluctuating flow velocity is obtained from probe measurement of the fluctuating E x B drift and electron diamagnetic drift. The three major findings are (1) the {alpha} effect accounts for the dynamo current generation, even in the time dependence through a ``sawtooth`` cycle; (2) at low collisionality the dynamo is explained primarily by the widely studied pressureless Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)more » model, i.e., the fluctuating velocity is dominated by the E x B drift; (3) at high collisionality, a new ``electron diamagnetic dynamo`` is observed, in which the fluctuating velocity is dominated by the diamagnetic drift. In addition, direct measurements of the helicity flux indicate that the dynamo activity transports magnetic helicity from one part of the plasma to another, but the total helicity is roughly conserved, verifying J.B. Taylor`s conjecture.« less

  14. Numerical study of laminar plasma dynamo in cylindrical and spherical geometries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khalzov, Ivan; Bayliss, Adam; Ebrahimi, Fatima; Forest, Cary; Schnack, Dalton

    2009-05-01

    We have performed the numerical investigation of possibility of laminar dynamo in two new experiments, Plasma Couette and Plasma Dynamo, which have been designed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The plasma is confined by a strong multipole magnetic field localized at the boundary of cylindrical (Plasma Couette) or spherical (Plasma Dynamo) chamber. Electrodes positioned between the magnet rings can be biased with arbitrary potentials so that Lorenz force ExB drives any given toroidal velocity profile at the surface. Using the extended MHD code, NIMROD, we have modeled several types of plasma flows appropriate for dynamo excitation. It is found that for high magnetic Reynolds numbers the counter-rotating von Karman flow (in cylinder) and Dudley-James flow (in sphere) can lead to self-generation of non-axisymmetric magnetic field. This field saturates at certain amplitude corresponding to a new stable equilibrium. The structure of this equilibrium is considered.

  15. Numerical simulation of laminar plasma dynamos in a cylindrical von Karman flow

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Khalzov, I. V.; Brown, B. P.; Schnack, D. D.

    2011-03-15

    The results of a numerical study of the magnetic dynamo effect in cylindrical von Karman plasma flow are presented with parameters relevant to the Madison Plasma Couette Experiment. This experiment is designed to investigate a broad class of phenomena in flowing plasmas. In a plasma, the magnetic Prandtl number Pm can be of order unity (i.e., the fluid Reynolds number Re is comparable to the magnetic Reynolds number Rm). This is in contrast to liquid metal experiments, where Pm is small (so, Re>>Rm) and the flows are always turbulent. We explore dynamo action through simulations using the extended magnetohydrodynamic NIMRODmore » code for an isothermal and compressible plasma model. We also study two-fluid effects in simulations by including the Hall term in Ohm's law. We find that the counter-rotating von Karman flow results in sustained dynamo action and the self-generation of magnetic field when the magnetic Reynolds number exceeds a critical value. For the plasma parameters of the experiment, this field saturates at an amplitude corresponding to a new stable equilibrium (a laminar dynamo). We show that compressibility in the plasma results in an increase of the critical magnetic Reynolds number, while inclusion of the Hall term in Ohm's law changes the amplitude of the saturated dynamo field but not the critical value for the onset of dynamo action.« less

  16. Coherent nonhelical shear dynamos driven by magnetic fluctuations at low Reynolds numbers

    DOE PAGES

    Squire, J.; Bhattacharjee, A.

    2015-10-28

    Nonhelical shear dynamos are studied with a particular focus on the possibility of coherent dynamo action. The primary results—serving as a follow up to the results of Squire & Bhattacharjee—pertain to the "magnetic shear-current effect" as a viable mechanism to drive large-scale magnetic field generation. This effect raises the interesting possibility that the saturated state of the small-scale dynamo could drive large-scale dynamo action, and is likely to be important in the unstratified regions of accretion disk turbulence. In this paper, the effect is studied at low Reynolds numbers, removing the complications of small-scale dynamo excitation and aiding analysis bymore » enabling the use of quasi-linear statistical simulation methods. In addition to the magnetically driven dynamo, new results on the kinematic nonhelical shear dynamo are presented. Furthermore, these illustrate the relationship between coherent and incoherent driving in such dynamos, demonstrating the importance of rotation in determining the relative dominance of each mechanism.« less

  17. COHERENT NONHELICAL SHEAR DYNAMOS DRIVEN BY MAGNETIC FLUCTUATIONS AT LOW REYNOLDS NUMBERS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Squire, J.; Bhattacharjee, A., E-mail: jsquire@caltech.edu

    2015-11-01

    Nonhelical shear dynamos are studied with a particular focus on the possibility of coherent dynamo action. The primary results—serving as a follow up to the results of Squire and Bhattacharjee—pertain to the “magnetic shear-current effect” as a viable mechanism to drive large-scale magnetic field generation. This effect raises the interesting possibility that the saturated state of the small-scale dynamo could drive large-scale dynamo action, and is likely to be important in the unstratified regions of accretion disk turbulence. In this paper, the effect is studied at low Reynolds numbers, removing the complications of small-scale dynamo excitation and aiding analysis bymore » enabling the use of quasi-linear statistical simulation methods. In addition to the magnetically driven dynamo, new results on the kinematic nonhelical shear dynamo are presented. These illustrate the relationship between coherent and incoherent driving in such dynamos, demonstrating the importance of rotation in determining the relative dominance of each mechanism.« less

  18. Shear-driven dynamo waves at high magnetic Reynolds number.

    PubMed

    Tobias, S M; Cattaneo, F

    2013-05-23

    Astrophysical magnetic fields often display remarkable organization, despite being generated by dynamo action driven by turbulent flows at high conductivity. An example is the eleven-year solar cycle, which shows spatial coherence over the entire solar surface. The difficulty in understanding the emergence of this large-scale organization is that whereas at low conductivity (measured by the magnetic Reynolds number, Rm) dynamo fields are well organized, at high Rm their structure is dominated by rapidly varying small-scale fluctuations. This arises because the smallest scales have the highest rate of strain, and can amplify magnetic field most efficiently. Therefore most of the effort to find flows whose large-scale dynamo properties persist at high Rm has been frustrated. Here we report high-resolution simulations of a dynamo that can generate organized fields at high Rm; indeed, the generation mechanism, which involves the interaction between helical flows and shear, only becomes effective at large Rm. The shear does not enhance generation at large scales, as is commonly thought; instead it reduces generation at small scales. The solution consists of propagating dynamo waves, whose existence was postulated more than 60 years ago and which have since been used to model the solar cycle.

  19. Solar Dynamo Driven by Periodic Flow Oscillation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mayr, Hans G.; Hartle, Richard E.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    We have proposed that the periodicity of the solar magnetic cycle is determined by wave mean flow interactions analogous to those driving the Quasi Biennial Oscillation in the Earth's atmosphere. Upward propagating gravity waves would produce oscillating flows near the top of the radiation zone that in turn would drive a kinematic dynamo to generate the 22-year solar magnetic cycle. The dynamo we propose is built on a given time independent magnetic field B, which allows us to estimate the time dependent, oscillating components of the magnetic field, (Delta)B. The toroidal magnetic field (Delta)B(sub phi) is directly driven by zonal flow and is relatively large in the source region, (Delta)(sub phi)/B(sub Theta) much greater than 1. Consistent with observations, this field peaks at low latitudes and has opposite polarities in both hemispheres. The oscillating poloidal magnetic field component, (Delta)B(sub Theta), is driven by the meridional circulation, which is difficult to assess without a numerical model that properly accounts for the solar atmosphere dynamics. Scale-analysis suggests that (Delta)B(sub Theta) is small compared to B(sub Theta) in the dynamo region. Relative to B(sub Theta), however, the oscillating magnetic field perturbations are expected to be transported more rapidly upwards in the convection zone to the solar surface. As a result, (Delta)B(sub Theta) (and (Delta)B(sub phi)) should grow relative to B(sub Theta), so that the magnetic fields reverse at the surface as observed. Since the meridional and zonai flow oscillations are out of phase, the poloidal magnetic field peaks during times when the toroidal field reverses direction, which is observed. With the proposed wave driven flow oscillation, the magnitude of the oscillating poloidal magnetic field increases with the mean rotation rate of the fluid. This is consistent with the Bode-Blackett empirical scaling law, which reveals that in massive astrophysical bodies the magnetic moment tends

  20. DynamO: a free O(N) general event-driven molecular dynamics simulator.

    PubMed

    Bannerman, M N; Sargant, R; Lue, L

    2011-11-30

    Molecular dynamics algorithms for systems of particles interacting through discrete or "hard" potentials are fundamentally different to the methods for continuous or "soft" potential systems. Although many software packages have been developed for continuous potential systems, software for discrete potential systems based on event-driven algorithms are relatively scarce and specialized. We present DynamO, a general event-driven simulation package, which displays the optimal O(N) asymptotic scaling of the computational cost with the number of particles N, rather than the O(N) scaling found in most standard algorithms. DynamO provides reference implementations of the best available event-driven algorithms. These techniques allow the rapid simulation of both complex and large (>10(6) particles) systems for long times. The performance of the program is benchmarked for elastic hard sphere systems, homogeneous cooling and sheared inelastic hard spheres, and equilibrium Lennard-Jones fluids. This software and its documentation are distributed under the GNU General Public license and can be freely downloaded from http://marcusbannerman.co.uk/dynamo. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. SHEAR-DRIVEN DYNAMO WAVES IN THE FULLY NONLINEAR REGIME

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pongkitiwanichakul, P.; Nigro, G.; Cattaneo, F.

    2016-07-01

    Large-scale dynamo action is well understood when the magnetic Reynolds number ( Rm ) is small, but becomes problematic in the astrophysically relevant large Rm limit since the fluctuations may control the operation of the dynamo, obscuring the large-scale behavior. Recent works by Tobias and Cattaneo demonstrated numerically the existence of large-scale dynamo action in the form of dynamo waves driven by strongly helical turbulence and shear. Their calculations were carried out in the kinematic regime in which the back-reaction of the Lorentz force on the flow is neglected. Here, we have undertaken a systematic extension of their work tomore » the fully nonlinear regime. Helical turbulence and large-scale shear are produced self-consistently by prescribing body forces that, in the kinematic regime, drive flows that resemble the original velocity used by Tobias and Cattaneo. We have found four different solution types in the nonlinear regime for various ratios of the fluctuating velocity to the shear and Reynolds numbers. Some of the solutions are in the form of propagating waves. Some solutions show large-scale helical magnetic structure. Both waves and structures are permanent only when the kinetic helicity is non-zero on average.« less

  2. An impact-driven dynamo for the early Moon.

    PubMed

    Le Bars, M; Wieczorek, M A; Karatekin, O; Cébron, D; Laneuville, M

    2011-11-09

    The origin of lunar magnetic anomalies remains unresolved after their discovery more than four decades ago. A commonly invoked hypothesis is that the Moon might once have possessed a thermally driven core dynamo, but this theory is problematical given the small size of the core and the required surface magnetic field strengths. An alternative hypothesis is that impact events might have amplified ambient fields near the antipodes of the largest basins, but many magnetic anomalies exist that are not associated with basin antipodes. Here we propose a new model for magnetic field generation, in which dynamo action comes from impact-induced changes in the Moon's rotation rate. Basin-forming impact events are energetic enough to have unlocked the Moon from synchronous rotation, and we demonstrate that the subsequent large-scale fluid flows in the core, excited by the tidal distortion of the core-mantle boundary, could have powered a lunar dynamo. Predicted surface magnetic field strengths are on the order of several microteslas, consistent with palaeomagnetic measurements, and the duration of these fields is sufficient to explain the central magnetic anomalies associated with several large impact basins.

  3. THE TURBULENT DYNAMO IN HIGHLY COMPRESSIBLE SUPERSONIC PLASMAS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Federrath, Christoph; Schober, Jennifer; Bovino, Stefano

    The turbulent dynamo may explain the origin of cosmic magnetism. While the exponential amplification of magnetic fields has been studied for incompressible gases, little is known about dynamo action in highly compressible, supersonic plasmas, such as the interstellar medium of galaxies and the early universe. Here we perform the first quantitative comparison of theoretical models of the dynamo growth rate and saturation level with three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical simulations of supersonic turbulence with grid resolutions of up to 1024{sup 3} cells. We obtain numerical convergence and find that dynamo action occurs for both low and high magnetic Prandtl numbers Pm = ν/ηmore » = 0.1-10 (the ratio of viscous to magnetic dissipation), which had so far only been seen for Pm ≥ 1 in supersonic turbulence. We measure the critical magnetic Reynolds number, Rm{sub crit}=129{sub −31}{sup +43}, showing that the compressible dynamo is almost as efficient as in incompressible gas. Considering the physical conditions of the present and early universe, we conclude that magnetic fields need to be taken into account during structure formation from the early to the present cosmic ages, because they suppress gas fragmentation and drive powerful jets and outflows, both greatly affecting the initial mass function of stars.« less

  4. Role of a continuous MHD dynamo in the formation of 3D equilibria in fusion plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Piovesan, P.; Bonfiglio, D.; Cianciosa, M.; Luce, T. C.; Taylor, N. Z.; Terranova, D.; Turco, F.; Wilcox, R. S.; Wingen, A.; Cappello, S.; Chrystal, C.; Escande, D. F.; Holcomb, C. T.; Marrelli, L.; Paz-Soldan, C.; Piron, L.; Predebon, I.; Zaniol, B.; DIII-D, The; RFX-Mod Teams

    2017-07-01

    Stationary 3D equilibria can form in fusion plasmas via saturation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities or stimulated by external 3D fields. In these cases the current profile is anomalously broad due to magnetic flux pumping produced by the MHD modes. Flux pumping plays an important role in hybrid tokamak plasmas, maintaining the minimum safety factor above unity and thus removing sawteeth. It also enables steady-state hybrid operation, by redistributing non-inductive current driven near the center by electron cyclotron waves. A validated flux pumping model is not yet available, but it would be necessary to extrapolate hybrid operation to future devices. In this work flux pumping physics is investigated for helical core equilibria stimulated by external 3D fields in DIII-D hybrid plasmas. We show that flux pumping can be produced in a continuous way by an MHD dynamo emf. The same effect maintains helical equilibria in reversed-field pinch (RFP) plasmas. The effective MHD dynamo loop voltage is calculated for experimental 3D equilibrium reconstructions, by balancing Ohm’s law over helical flux surfaces, and is consistent with the expected current redistribution. Similar results are also obtained with more sophisticated nonlinear MHD simulations. The same modelling approach is applied to helical RFP states forming spontaneously in RFX-mod as the plasma current is raised above 0.8-1 MA. This comparison allows to identify the underlying physics common to tokamak and RFP: a helical core displacement modulates parallel current density along flux tubes, which requires a helical electrostatic potential to build up, giving rise to a helical MHD dynamo flow.

  5. Role of a continuous MHD dynamo in the formation of 3D equilibria in fusion plasmas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Piovesan, P.; Bonfiglio, D.; Cianciosa, M.

    Stationary 3D equilibria can form in fusion plasmas via saturation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities or stimulated by external 3D fields. In these cases the current profile is anomalously broad due to magnetic flux pumping produced by the MHD modes. Flux pumping plays an important role in hybrid tokamak plasmas, maintaining the minimum safety factor above unity and thus removing sawteeth. It also enables steady-state hybrid operation, by redistributing non-inductive current driven near the center by electron cyclotron waves. A validated flux pumping model is not yet available, but it would be necessary to extrapolate hybrid operation to future devices. Inmore » this work flux pumping physics is investigated for helical core equilibria stimulated by external 3D fields in DIII-D hybrid plasmas. We show that flux pumping can be produced in a continuous way by an MHD dynamo emf. The same effect maintains helical equilibria in reversed-field pinch (RFP) plasmas. The effective MHD dynamo loop voltage is calculated for experimental 3D equilibrium reconstructions, by balancing Ohm’s law over helical flux surfaces, and is consistent with the expected current redistribution. Similar results are also obtained with more sophisticated nonlinear MHD simulations. The same modelling approach is applied to helical RFP states forming spontaneously in RFX-mod as the plasma current is raised above 0.8–1 MA. This comparison allows to identify the underlying physics common to tokamak and RFP: a helical core displacement modulates parallel current density along flux tubes, which requires a helical electrostatic potential to build up, giving rise to a helical MHD dynamo flow.« less

  6. Role of a continuous MHD dynamo in the formation of 3D equilibria in fusion plasmas

    DOE PAGES

    Piovesan, P.; Bonfiglio, D.; Cianciosa, M.; ...

    2017-04-28

    Stationary 3D equilibria can form in fusion plasmas via saturation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities or stimulated by external 3D fields. In these cases the current profile is anomalously broad due to magnetic flux pumping produced by the MHD modes. Flux pumping plays an important role in hybrid tokamak plasmas, maintaining the minimum safety factor above unity and thus removing sawteeth. It also enables steady-state hybrid operation, by redistributing non-inductive current driven near the center by electron cyclotron waves. A validated flux pumping model is not yet available, but it would be necessary to extrapolate hybrid operation to future devices. Inmore » this work flux pumping physics is investigated for helical core equilibria stimulated by external 3D fields in DIII-D hybrid plasmas. We show that flux pumping can be produced in a continuous way by an MHD dynamo emf. The same effect maintains helical equilibria in reversed-field pinch (RFP) plasmas. The effective MHD dynamo loop voltage is calculated for experimental 3D equilibrium reconstructions, by balancing Ohm’s law over helical flux surfaces, and is consistent with the expected current redistribution. Similar results are also obtained with more sophisticated nonlinear MHD simulations. The same modelling approach is applied to helical RFP states forming spontaneously in RFX-mod as the plasma current is raised above 0.8–1 MA. This comparison allows to identify the underlying physics common to tokamak and RFP: a helical core displacement modulates parallel current density along flux tubes, which requires a helical electrostatic potential to build up, giving rise to a helical MHD dynamo flow.« less

  7. Laboratory evidence of dynamo amplification of magnetic fields in a turbulent plasma.

    PubMed

    Tzeferacos, P; Rigby, A; Bott, A F A; Bell, A R; Bingham, R; Casner, A; Cattaneo, F; Churazov, E M; Emig, J; Fiuza, F; Forest, C B; Foster, J; Graziani, C; Katz, J; Koenig, M; Li, C-K; Meinecke, J; Petrasso, R; Park, H-S; Remington, B A; Ross, J S; Ryu, D; Ryutov, D; White, T G; Reville, B; Miniati, F; Schekochihin, A A; Lamb, D Q; Froula, D H; Gregori, G

    2018-02-09

    Magnetic fields are ubiquitous in the Universe. The energy density of these fields is typically comparable to the energy density of the fluid motions of the plasma in which they are embedded, making magnetic fields essential players in the dynamics of the luminous matter. The standard theoretical model for the origin of these strong magnetic fields is through the amplification of tiny seed fields via turbulent dynamo to the level consistent with current observations. However, experimental demonstration of the turbulent dynamo mechanism has remained elusive, since it requires plasma conditions that are extremely hard to re-create in terrestrial laboratories. Here we demonstrate, using laser-produced colliding plasma flows, that turbulence is indeed capable of rapidly amplifying seed fields to near equipartition with the turbulent fluid motions. These results support the notion that turbulent dynamo is a viable mechanism responsible for the observed present-day magnetization.

  8. Laboratory evidence of dynamo amplification of magnetic fields in a turbulent plasma

    DOE PAGES

    Tzeferacos, P.; Rigby, A.; Bott, A. F. A.; ...

    2018-02-09

    Magnetic fields are ubiquitous in the Universe. The energy density of these fields is typically comparable to the energy density of the fluid motions of the plasma in which they are embedded, making magnetic fields essential players in the dynamics of the luminous matter. The standard theoretical model for the origin of these strong magnetic fields is through the amplification of tiny seed fields via turbulent dynamo to the level consistent with current observations. However, experimental demonstration of the turbulent dynamo mechanism has remained elusive, since it requires plasma conditions that are extremely hard to re-create in terrestrial laboratories. Heremore » in this paper, we demonstrate, using laser-produced colliding plasma flows, that turbulence is indeed capable of rapidly amplifying seed fields to near equipartition with the turbulent fluid motions. These results support the notion that turbulent dynamo is a viable mechanism responsible for the observed present-day magnetization.« less

  9. Laboratory evidence of dynamo amplification of magnetic fields in a turbulent plasma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tzeferacos, P.; Rigby, A.; Bott, A. F. A.

    Magnetic fields are ubiquitous in the Universe. The energy density of these fields is typically comparable to the energy density of the fluid motions of the plasma in which they are embedded, making magnetic fields essential players in the dynamics of the luminous matter. The standard theoretical model for the origin of these strong magnetic fields is through the amplification of tiny seed fields via turbulent dynamo to the level consistent with current observations. However, experimental demonstration of the turbulent dynamo mechanism has remained elusive, since it requires plasma conditions that are extremely hard to re-create in terrestrial laboratories. Heremore » in this paper, we demonstrate, using laser-produced colliding plasma flows, that turbulence is indeed capable of rapidly amplifying seed fields to near equipartition with the turbulent fluid motions. These results support the notion that turbulent dynamo is a viable mechanism responsible for the observed present-day magnetization.« less

  10. Flux-transport Dynamos Driven by a Tachocline α -effect; a Solution to Magnetic Parity Selection in the Sun

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dikpati, M.; Gilman, P. A.

    2001-05-01

    We propose here an α Ω flux-transport dynamo driven by a tachocline α -effect, produced by the global hydrodynamic instability of tachocline differential rotation as calculated using a shallow-water model (Dikpati & Gilman, 2001, ApJ, Mar.20 issue). Growing, unstable shallow-water modes propagating longitudinally in the tachocline create alternate vortices which correlate with upward/downward radial motion of top boundary, associated with convergence/divergence of the disturbance flow to produce a longitude-averaged net kinetic helicity, and hence an α -effect. We show that a flux-transport dynamo driven by a tachocline α -effect is equally successful as a Babcock-Leighton flux-transport dynamo (Dikpati & Charbonneau 1999, ApJ, 518, 508) in reproducing many large-scale solar cycle features, including the most difficult feature of phase relationship between the subsurface toroidal field and surface radial field. In view of the success of flux-transport dynamos, whether the α -effect is at the surface or in the tachocline, we argue that the solar dynamo should be considered to involve three basic processes, rather than two (α -effect and Ω -effect only). The third important process is the advective transport of flux by meridional circulation. In reality, both α -effects (Babcock-Leighton type and tachocline α -effect) are likely to exist, but it is hard to estimate their relative magnitudes. We show, by extending the simulation in a full spherical shell model that a flux-transport dynamo driven by a tachocline α -effect selects toroidal field that is antisymmetric about the equator, while a Babcock-Leighton flux-transport dynamo selects symmetric toroidal field. Since our present Sun selects antisymmetric toroidal fields, we argue that the flux-transport solar dynamo is primarily driven by a tachocline α -effect. Acknowledgements: This work is supported by NASA grants W-19752 and S-10145-X. National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by National

  11. Solar and Planetary Dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Proctor, M. R. E.; Matthews, P. C.; Rucklidge, A. M.

    2008-02-01

    Preface; 1. Magnetic noise and the galactic dynamo; 2. On the oscillation in model Z; 3. Nonlinear dynamos in a spherical shell; 4. The onset of dynamo action in alpha-lambda dynamos; 5. Multifractality, near-singularities and the role of stretching in turbulence; 6. Note on perfect fast dynamo action in a large-amplitude SFS map; 7. A thermally driven disc dynamo; 8. Magnetic instabilities in rapidly rotating systems; 9. Modes of a flux ring lying in the equator of a star; 10. A nonaxisymmetric dynamo in toroidal geometry; 11. Simulating the interaction of convection with magnetic fields in the sun; 12. Experimental aspects of a laboratory scale liquid sodium dynamo model; 13. Influence of the period of an ABC flow on its dynamo action; 14. Numerical calculations of dynamos for ABC and related flows; 15. Incompressible Euler equations; 16. On the quasimagnetostrophic asymptotic approximation related to solar activity; 17. Simple dynamical fast dynamos; 18. A numerical study of dynamos in spherical shells with conducting boundaries; 19. Non-axisymmetric shear layers in a rotating spherical shell; 20. Testing for dynamo action; 21. Alpha-quenching in cylindrical magnetoconvection; 22. On the stretching of line elements in fluids: an approach from different geometry; 23. Instabilities of tidally and precessionally induced flows; 24. Probability distribution of passive scalars with nonlinear mean gradient; 25. Magnetic fluctuations in fast dynamos; 26. A statistical description of MHD turbulence in laboratory plasma; 27. Compressible magnetoconvection in three dimensions; 28. The excitation of nonaxisymmetric magnetic fields in galaxies; 29. Localized magnetic fields in a perfectly conducting fluid; 30. Turbulent dynamo and the geomagnetic secular variation; 31. On-off intermittency: general description and feedback model; 32. Dynamo action in a nearly integrable chaotic flow; 33. The dynamo mechanism in the deep convection zone of the sun; 34. Shearing instabilities

  12. Resonant fast dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strauss, H. R.

    1986-01-01

    A resonant fast dynamo is found in chaotic shear flows. The dynamo effect is produced by resonant perturbations of the velocity field, similar to resonant diffusion in plasma physics. The dynamo is called fast because the flow produces an electric field independent of the fluid resistivity.

  13. Flow and dynamo measurements during the coaxial helicity injection on HIST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ando, K.; Higashi, T.; Nakatsuka, M.; Kikuchi, Y.; Fukumoto, N.; Nagata, M.

    2009-11-01

    The current drive by Coaxial Helicity Injection (CHI-CD) was performed on HIST in a wide range of configurations from high-q ST to low-q ST and spheromak generated by the utilization of the toroidal field. It is a key issue to investigate the dynamo mechanism required to maintain each configuration. To identify the detail mechanisms, it is needed to manifest a role of plasma flows in the CHI-CD. For this purpose, we have measured the ion flow and the dynamo electric field using an ion Doppler spectrometer (IDS) system, a Mach probe and a dynamo probe. The new dynamo probe consists of 3-axis Mach probes and magnetic pick-up coils. The flow measurements have shown that the intermittent generation of the flow is correlated to the fluctuation seen on the electron density and current signals during the driven phase. At this time, the toroidal direction of the ion flow in the central open flux column is opposite to that of the toroidal current there, i.e. the same direction as electrons. After the plasma enters to the resistive decay phase, the toroidal flow tends to reverse to the same direction as the toroidal current. The results are consistent with the model of the repetitive plasmoid ejection and coalescence proposed for CHI-CD. The plasma jet emanating from the gun source and magnetic field generations through reconnection during the driven phase is well reflected in the 3D MHD simulation.

  14. Global Simulations of Dynamo and Magnetorotational Instability in Madison Plasma Experiments and Astrophysical Disks

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ebrahimi, Fatima

    2014-07-31

    Large-scale magnetic fields have been observed in widely different types of astrophysical objects. These magnetic fields are believed to be caused by the so-called dynamo effect. Could a large-scale magnetic field grow out of turbulence (i.e. the alpha dynamo effect)? How could the topological properties and the complexity of magnetic field as a global quantity, the so called magnetic helicity, be important in the dynamo effect? In addition to understanding the dynamo mechanism in astrophysical accretion disks, anomalous angular momentum transport has also been a longstanding problem in accretion disks and laboratory plasmas. To investigate both dynamo and momentum transport,more » we have performed both numerical modeling of laboratory experiments that are intended to simulate nature and modeling of configurations with direct relevance to astrophysical disks. Our simulations use fluid approximations (Magnetohydrodynamics - MHD model), where plasma is treated as a single fluid, or two fluids, in the presence of electromagnetic forces. Our major physics objective is to study the possibility of magnetic field generation (so called MRI small-scale and large-scale dynamos) and its role in Magneto-rotational Instability (MRI) saturation through nonlinear simulations in both MHD and Hall regimes.« less

  15. Simulations of Dynamo and Magnetorotational Instability in Madison Plasma Experiments and Astrophysical Disks

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ebrahimi, Fatima

    Magnetic fields are observed to exist on all scales in many astrophysical sources such as stars, galaxies, and accretion discs. Understanding the origin of large scale magnetic fields, whereby the field emerges on spatial scales large compared to the fluctuations, has been a particularly long standing challenge. Our physics objective are: 1) what are the minimum ingredients for large-scale dynamo growth? 2) could a large-scale magnetic field grow out of turbulence and sustained despite the presence of dissipation? These questions are fundamental for understanding the large-scale dynamo in both laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Here, we report major new findings inmore » the area of Large-Scale Dynamo (magnetic field generation).« less

  16. Quasi-geostrophic dynamo theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Calkins, Michael A.

    2018-03-01

    The asymptotic theory of rapidly rotating, convection-driven dynamos in a plane layer is discussed. A key characteristic of these quasi-geostrophic dynamos is that the Lorentz force is comparable in magnitude to the ageostrophic component of the Coriolis force, rather than the leading order component that yields geostrophy. This characteristic is consistent with both observations of planetary dynamos and numerical dynamo investigations, where the traditional Elssasser number, ΛT = O (1) . Thus, while numerical dynamo simulations currently cannot access the strongly turbulent flows that are thought to be characteristic of planetary interiors, it is argued that they are in the appropriate geostrophically balanced regime provided that inertial and viscous forces are both small relative to the leading order Coriolis force. Four distinct quasi-geostrophic dynamo regimes are discussed, with each regime characterized by a unique magnetic to kinetic energy density ratio and differing dynamics. The axial torque due to the Lorentz force is shown to be asymptotically small for such quasi-geostrophic dynamos, suggesting that 'Taylor's constraint' represents an ambiguous measure of the primary force balance in a rapidly rotating dynamo.

  17. Wave-driven dynamo action in spherical magnetohydrodynamic systems.

    PubMed

    Reuter, K; Jenko, F; Tilgner, A; Forest, C B

    2009-11-01

    Hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic numerical studies of a mechanically forced two-vortex flow inside a sphere are reported. The simulations are performed in the intermediate regime between the laminar flow and developed turbulence, where a hydrodynamic instability is found to generate internal waves with a characteristic m=2 zonal wave number. It is shown that this time-periodic flow acts as a dynamo, although snapshots of the flow as well as the mean flow are not dynamos. The magnetic fields' growth rate exhibits resonance effects depending on the wave frequency. Furthermore, a cyclic self-killing and self-recovering dynamo based on the relative alignment of the velocity and magnetic fields is presented. The phenomena are explained in terms of a mixing of nonorthogonal eigenstates of the time-dependent linear operator of the magnetic induction equation. The potential relevance of this mechanism to dynamo experiments is discussed.

  18. Experimental realization of dynamo action: present status and prospects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giesecke, André; Stefani, Frank; Gundrum, Thomas; Gerbeth, Gunter; Nore, Caroline; Léorat, Jacques

    2013-07-01

    In the last decades, the experimental study of dynamo action has made great progress. However, after the dynamo experiments in Karlsruhe and Riga, the von-Kármán-Sodium (VKS) dynamo is only the third facility that has been able to demonstrate fluid flow driven self-generation of magnetic fields in a laboratory experiment. Further progress in the experimental examination of dynamo action is expected from the planned precession driven dynamo experiment that will be designed in the framework of the liquid sodium facility DRESDYN (DREsden Sodium facility for DYNamo and thermohydraulic studies). In this paper, we briefly present numerical models of the VKS dynamo that demonstrate the close relation between the axisymmetric field observed in that experiment and the soft iron material used for the flow driving impellers. We further show recent results of preparatory water experiments and design studies related to the precession dynamo and delineate the scientific prospects for the final set-up.

  19. Dynamo Induced by Time-periodic Force

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Xing

    2018-03-01

    To understand the dynamo driven by time-dependent flow, e.g., turbulence, we investigate numerically the dynamo induced by time-periodic force in rotating magnetohydrodynamic flow and focus on the effect of force frequency on the dynamo action. It is found that the dynamo action depends on the force frequency. When the force frequency is near resonance the force can drive dynamo, but when it is far away from resonance dynamo fails. In the frequency range near resonance to support dynamo, the force frequency at resonance induces a weak magnetic field and magnetic energy increases as the force frequency deviates from the resonant frequency. This is opposite to the intuition that a strong flow at resonance will induce a strong field. It is because magnetic field nonlinearly couples with fluid flow in the self-sustained dynamo and changes the resonance of driving force and inertial wave.

  20. Instability-driven interfacial dynamo in protoneutron stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mastrano, A.; Melatos, A.

    2011-10-01

    The existence of a tachocline in the Sun has been proven by helioseismology. It is unknown whether a similar shear layer, widely regarded as the seat of magnetic dynamo action, also exists in a protoneutron star. Sudden jumps in magnetic diffusivity η and turbulent vorticity α, for example at the interface between the neutron-finger and convective zones, are known to be capable of enhancing mean-field dynamo effects in a protoneutron star. Here, we apply the well-known, plane-parallel, MacGregor-Charbonneau analysis of the solar interfacial dynamo to the protoneutron star problem and analytically calculate the growth rate under a range of conditions. It is shown that, like the solar dynamo, it is impossible to achieve self-sustained growth if the discontinuities in α, η and shear are coincident and the magnetic diffusivity is isotropic. In contrast, when the jumps in η and α are situated away from the shear layer, self-sustained growth is possible for P≲ 49.8 ms (if the velocity shear is located at 0.3R) or P≲ 83.6 ms (if the velocity shear is located at 0.6R). This translates into stronger shear and/or α-effect than in the Sun. Self-sustained growth is also possible if the magnetic diffusivity is anisotropic, through the Ω×J effect, even when the α, η and shear discontinuities are coincident.

  1. Laser experiments to simulate coronal mass ejection driven magnetospheres and astrophysical plasma winds on compact magnetized stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horton, W.; Ditmire, T.; Zakharov, Yu. P.

    2010-06-01

    Laboratory experiments using a plasma wind generated by laser-target interaction are proposed to investigate the creation of a shock in front of the magnetosphere and the dynamo mechanism for creating plasma currents and voltages. Preliminary experiments are shown where measurements of the electron density gradients surrounding the obstacles are recorded to infer the plasma winds. The proposed experiments are relevant to understanding the electron acceleration mechanisms taking place in shock-driven magnetic dipole confined plasmas surrounding compact magnetized stars and planets. Exploratory experiments have been published [P. Brady, T. Ditmire, W. Horton, et al., Phys. Plasmas 16, 043112 (2009)] with the one Joule Yoga laser and centimeter sized permanent magnets.

  2. Numerical modeling of laser-driven experiments aiming to demonstrate magnetic field amplification via turbulent dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tzeferacos, P.; Rigby, A.; Bott, A.; Bell, A. R.; Bingham, R.; Casner, A.; Cattaneo, F.; Churazov, E. M.; Emig, J.; Flocke, N.; Fiuza, F.; Forest, C. B.; Foster, J.; Graziani, C.; Katz, J.; Koenig, M.; Li, C.-K.; Meinecke, J.; Petrasso, R.; Park, H.-S.; Remington, B. A.; Ross, J. S.; Ryu, D.; Ryutov, D.; Weide, K.; White, T. G.; Reville, B.; Miniati, F.; Schekochihin, A. A.; Froula, D. H.; Gregori, G.; Lamb, D. Q.

    2017-04-01

    The universe is permeated by magnetic fields, with strengths ranging from a femtogauss in the voids between the filaments of galaxy clusters to several teragauss in black holes and neutron stars. The standard model behind cosmological magnetic fields is the nonlinear amplification of seed fields via turbulent dynamo to the values observed. We have conceived experiments that aim to demonstrate and study the turbulent dynamo mechanism in the laboratory. Here, we describe the design of these experiments through simulation campaigns using FLASH, a highly capable radiation magnetohydrodynamics code that we have developed, and large-scale three-dimensional simulations on the Mira supercomputer at the Argonne National Laboratory. The simulation results indicate that the experimental platform may be capable of reaching a turbulent plasma state and determining the dynamo amplification. We validate and compare our numerical results with a small subset of experimental data using synthetic diagnostics.

  3. Effect of metallic walls on dynamos generated by laminar boundary-driven flow in a spherical domain.

    PubMed

    Guervilly, Céline; Wood, Toby S; Brummell, Nicholas H

    2013-11-01

    We present a numerical study of dynamo action in a conducting fluid encased in a metallic spherical shell. Motions in the fluid are driven by differential rotation of the outer metallic shell, which we refer to as "the wall." The two hemispheres of the wall are held in counter-rotation, producing a steady, axisymmetric interior flow consisting of differential rotation and a two-cell meridional circulation with radial inflow in the equatorial plane. From previous studies, this type of flow is known to maintain a stationary equatorial dipole by dynamo action if the magnetic Reynolds number is larger than about 300 and if the outer boundary is electrically insulating. We vary independently the thickness, electrical conductivity, and magnetic permeability of the wall to determine their effect on the dynamo action. The main results are the following: (a) Increasing the conductivity of the wall hinders the dynamo by allowing eddy currents within the wall, which are induced by the relative motion of the equatorial dipole field and the wall. This processes can be viewed as a skin effect or, equivalently, as the tearing apart of the dipole by the differential rotation of the wall, to which the field lines are anchored by high conductivity. (b) Increasing the magnetic permeability of the wall favors dynamo action by constraining the magnetic field lines in the fluid to be normal to the wall, thereby decoupling the fluid from any induction in the wall. (c) Decreasing the wall thickness limits the amplitude of the eddy currents, and is therefore favorable for dynamo action, provided that the wall is thinner than the skin depth. We explicitly demonstrate these effects of the wall properties on the dynamo field by deriving an effective boundary condition in the limit of vanishing wall thickness.

  4. Numerical modeling of laser-driven experiments aiming to demonstrate magnetic field amplification via turbulent dynamo

    DOE PAGES

    Tzeferacos, Petros; Rigby, A.; Bott, A.; ...

    2017-03-22

    The universe is permeated by magnetic fields, with strengths ranging from a femtogauss in the voids between the filaments of galaxy clusters to several teragauss in black holes and neutron stars. The standard model behind cosmological magnetic fields is the nonlinear amplification of seed fields via turbulent dynamo to the values observed. We have conceived experiments that aim to demonstrate and study the turbulent dynamo mechanism in the laboratory. Here, we describe the design of these experiments through simulation campaigns using FLASH, a highly capable radiation magnetohydrodynamics code that we have developed, and large-scale three-dimensional simulations on the Mira supercomputermore » at the Argonne National Laboratory. The simulation results indicate that the experimental platform may be capable of reaching a turbulent plasma state and determining the dynamo amplification. As a result, we validate and compare our numerical results with a small subset of experimental data using synthetic diagnostics.« less

  5. The Solar Dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hathaway, David H.

    1998-01-01

    The solar dynamo is the process by which the Sun's magnetic field is generated through the interaction of the field with convection and rotation. In this, it is kin to planetary dynamos and other stellar dynamos. Although the precise mechanism by which the Sun generates its field remains poorly understood despite decades of theoretical and observational work, recent advances suggest that solutions to this solar dynamo problem may be forthcoming. Two basic processes are involved in dynamo activity. When the fluid stresses dominate the magnetic stresses (high plasma beta = 8(pi)rho/B(sup 2)), shear flows can stretch magnetic field lines in the direction of the shear (the "alpha effect") and helical flows can lift and twist field lines into orthogonal planes (the "alpha effect"). These two processes can be active anywhere in the solar convection zone but with different results depending upon their relative strengths and signs. Little is known about how and where these processes occur. Other processes, such as magnetic diffusion and the effects of the fine scale structure of the solar magnetic field, pose additional problems.

  6. An MHD Dynamo Experiment.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Connell, R.; Forest, C. B.; Plard, F.; Kendrick, R.; Lovell, T.; Thomas, M.; Bonazza, R.; Jensen, T.; Politzer, P.; Gerritsen, W.; McDowell, M.

    1997-11-01

    A MHD experiment is being constructed which will have the possibility of showing dynamo action: the self--generation of currents from fluid motion. The design allows sufficient experimental flexibility and diagnostic access to study a variety of issues central to dynamo theory, including mean--field electrodynamics and saturation (backreaction physics). Initially, helical flows required for dynamo action will be driven by propellers embedded in liquid sodium. The flow fields will first be measured using laser doppler velocimetry in a water experiment with an identical fluid Reynolds number. The magnetic field evolution will then be predicted using a MHD code, replacing the water with sodium; if growing magnetic fields are found, the experiment will be repeated with sodium.

  7. Inertial effects on thermochemically driven convection and hydromagnetic dynamos in a spherical shell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Šimkanin, Ján; Kyselica, Juraj; Guba, Peter

    2018-03-01

    We investigate the thermochemical convection and hydromagnetic dynamos in a spherical shell using the so-called codensity formulation with different buoyancy sources: the secular cooling from the mantle, the buoyancy sources due to the solidification at the inner core boundary and the combination of the two sources. Numerical simulations of the fully non-linear problem are performed using the PARODY code. In the thermochemical regime, we find that when the Prandtl numbers are lower than Ekman numbers, inertial convection is preferred, while the large-scale columnar convection is preferred otherwise. Unlike the large-scale convection, the inertial convection is found to be almost independent of the nature of driving buoyancy source. Moreover, the codensity field evolves to a new, radially symmetric stationary state. At the Ekman numbers much smaller than the Prandtl numbers, we have obtained the westward equatorial zonal flow in the chemically driven regime, while for the other cases zonal flows are eastward near the equator. In the dynamo regime, inertial convection is preferred when the Prandtl numbers are lower than Ekman numbers and the generated dipolar magnetic fields oscillate from the polar region to the mid-latitudes and back. In this case, the generated magnetic fields are independent of the type of buoyancy source. At the Prandtl numbers greater than Ekman numbers, both dipolar and hemispherical dynamos are found.

  8. Sharp magnetic structures from dynamos with density stratification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jabbari, Sarah; Brandenburg, Axel; Kleeorin, Nathan; Rogachevskii, Igor

    2017-05-01

    Recent direct numerical simulations (DNS) of large-scale turbulent dynamos in strongly stratified layers have resulted in surprisingly sharp bipolar structures at the surface. Here, we present new DNS of helically and non-helically forced turbulence with and without rotation and compare with corresponding mean-field simulations (MFS) to show that these structures are a generic outcome of a broader class of dynamos in density-stratified layers. The MFS agree qualitatively with the DNS, but the period of oscillations tends to be longer in the DNS. In both DNS and MFS, the sharp structures are produced by converging flows at the surface and might be driven in non-linear stage of evolution by the Lorentz force associated with the large-scale dynamo-driven magnetic field if the dynamo number is at least 2.5 times supercritical.

  9. The effect of collisionality and diamagnetism on the plasma dynamo

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ji, H.; Yagi, Y.; Hattori, K.

    1995-04-28

    Fluctuation-induced dynamo forces are measured over a wide range of electron collisionality in the edge of TPE-1RM20 Reversed-Field Pinch (RFP). In the collisionless region the Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) dynamo alone can sustain the parallel current, while in the collisional region a new dynamo mechanism resulting from the fluctuations in the electron diamagnetic drift becomes dominant. A comprehensive picture of the RFP dynamo emerges by combining with earlier results from MST and REPUTE RFPs.

  10. Role of large-scale velocity fluctuations in a two-vortex kinematic dynamo.

    PubMed

    Kaplan, E J; Brown, B P; Rahbarnia, K; Forest, C B

    2012-06-01

    This paper presents an analysis of the Dudley-James two-vortex flow, which inspired several laboratory-scale liquid-metal experiments, in order to better demonstrate its relation to astrophysical dynamos. A coordinate transformation splits the flow into components that are axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric relative to the induced magnetic dipole moment. The reformulation gives the flow the same dynamo ingredients as are present in more complicated convection-driven dynamo simulations. These ingredients are currents driven by the mean flow and currents driven by correlations between fluctuations in the flow and fluctuations in the magnetic field. The simple model allows us to isolate the dynamics of the growing eigenvector and trace them back to individual three-wave couplings between the magnetic field and the flow. This simple model demonstrates the necessity of poloidal advection in sustaining the dynamo and points to the effect of large-scale flow fluctuations in exciting a dynamo magnetic field.

  11. Ab Initio Simulations of a Supernova-driven Galactic Dynamo in an Isolated Disk Galaxy

    DOE PAGES

    Butsky, Iryna; Zrake, Jonathan; Kim, Ji-hoon; ...

    2017-07-10

    Here, we study the magnetic field evolution of an isolated spiral galaxy, using isolated Milky Way–mass galaxy formation simulations and a novel prescription for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) supernova feedback. Our main result is that a galactic dynamo can be seeded and driven by supernova explosions, resulting in magnetic fields whose strength and morphology are consistent with observations. In our model, supernovae supply thermal energy and a low-level magnetic field along with their ejecta. The thermal expansion drives turbulence, which serves a dual role by efficiently mixing the magnetic field into the interstellar medium and amplifying it by means of a turbulentmore » dynamo. The computational prescription for MHD supernova feedback has been implemented within the publicly available ENZO code and is fully described in this paper. This improves upon ENZO's existing modules for hydrodynamic feedback from stars and active galaxies. We find that the field attains microgauss levels over gigayear timescales throughout the disk. The field also develops a large-scale structure, which appears to be correlated with the disk's spiral arm density structure. We find that seeding of the galactic dynamo by supernova ejecta predicts a persistent correlation between gas metallicity and magnetic field strength. We also generate all-sky maps of the Faraday rotation measure from the simulation-predicted magnetic field, and we present a direct comparison with observations.« less

  12. Ab Initio Simulations of a Supernova-driven Galactic Dynamo in an Isolated Disk Galaxy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Butsky, Iryna; Zrake, Jonathan; Kim, Ji-hoon

    We study the magnetic field evolution of an isolated spiral galaxy, using isolated Milky Way–mass galaxy formation simulations and a novel prescription for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) supernova feedback. Our main result is that a galactic dynamo can be seeded and driven by supernova explosions, resulting in magnetic fields whose strength and morphology are consistent with observations. In our model, supernovae supply thermal energy and a low-level magnetic field along with their ejecta. The thermal expansion drives turbulence, which serves a dual role by efficiently mixing the magnetic field into the interstellar medium and amplifying it by means of a turbulent dynamo.more » The computational prescription for MHD supernova feedback has been implemented within the publicly available ENZO code and is fully described in this paper. This improves upon ENZO 's existing modules for hydrodynamic feedback from stars and active galaxies. We find that the field attains microgauss levels over gigayear timescales throughout the disk. The field also develops a large-scale structure, which appears to be correlated with the disk’s spiral arm density structure. We find that seeding of the galactic dynamo by supernova ejecta predicts a persistent correlation between gas metallicity and magnetic field strength. We also generate all-sky maps of the Faraday rotation measure from the simulation-predicted magnetic field, and we present a direct comparison with observations.« less

  13. Ab Initio Simulations of a Supernova-driven Galactic Dynamo in an Isolated Disk Galaxy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Butsky, Iryna; Zrake, Jonathan; Kim, Ji-hoon

    Here, we study the magnetic field evolution of an isolated spiral galaxy, using isolated Milky Way–mass galaxy formation simulations and a novel prescription for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) supernova feedback. Our main result is that a galactic dynamo can be seeded and driven by supernova explosions, resulting in magnetic fields whose strength and morphology are consistent with observations. In our model, supernovae supply thermal energy and a low-level magnetic field along with their ejecta. The thermal expansion drives turbulence, which serves a dual role by efficiently mixing the magnetic field into the interstellar medium and amplifying it by means of a turbulentmore » dynamo. The computational prescription for MHD supernova feedback has been implemented within the publicly available ENZO code and is fully described in this paper. This improves upon ENZO's existing modules for hydrodynamic feedback from stars and active galaxies. We find that the field attains microgauss levels over gigayear timescales throughout the disk. The field also develops a large-scale structure, which appears to be correlated with the disk's spiral arm density structure. We find that seeding of the galactic dynamo by supernova ejecta predicts a persistent correlation between gas metallicity and magnetic field strength. We also generate all-sky maps of the Faraday rotation measure from the simulation-predicted magnetic field, and we present a direct comparison with observations.« less

  14. The precession dynamo experiment at HZDR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giesecke, A.; Gundrum, T.; Herault, J.; Stefani, F.; Gerbeth, G.

    2015-12-01

    In a next generation dynamo experiment currently under development atthe Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) a fluid flow of liquidsodium, solely driven by precession, will be considered as a possiblesource for magnetic field generation. The experiment is mainlymotivated by alternative concepts for astrophysical dynamos that arebased on mechanical flow driving. For example, it has long beendiscussed whether precession may be a complementary power source forthe geodynamo (Malkus, Science 1968) or for the ancient lunar dynamodue to the Earth-driven precession of the lunar spin axis (Dwyer, Nature 2011).We will present the current state of development of the dynamoexperiment together with results from non-linear hydrodynamicsimulations with moderate precessional forcing. Our simulations reveala non-axisymmetric forced mode with an amplitude of up to one fourthof the rotation velocity of the cylindrical container confirming thatprecession provides a rather efficient flow driving mechanism even atmoderate precession rates.More relevant for dynamo action might be free Kelvin modes (thenatural flow eigenmodes in a rotating cylinder) with higher azimuthalwave number. These modes may become relevant when constituting atriadic resonance with the fundamental forced mode, i.e., when theheight of the container matches their axial wave lengths. We findtriadic resonances at aspect ratios close to those predicted by thelinear theory except around the primary resonance of the forcedmode. In that regime we still identify free Kelvin modes propagatingin retrograde direction but none of them can be assigned to a triade.Our results will enter into the development of flow models that willbe used in kinematic simulations of the electromagnetic inductionequation in order to determine whether a precession driven flow willbe capable to drive a dynamo at all and to limit the parameter spacewithin which the occurrence of dynamo action is most promising.

  15. Persistence and origin of the lunar core dynamo

    PubMed Central

    Suavet, Clément; Weiss, Benjamin P.; Cassata, William S.; Shuster, David L.; Gattacceca, Jérôme; Chan, Lindsey; Garrick-Bethell, Ian; Head, James W.; Grove, Timothy L.; Fuller, Michael D.

    2013-01-01

    The lifetime of the ancient lunar core dynamo has implications for its power source and the mechanism of field generation. Here, we report analyses of two 3.56-Gy-old mare basalts demonstrating that they were magnetized in a stable and surprisingly intense dynamo magnetic field of at least ∼13 μT. These data extend the known lifetime of the lunar dynamo by ∼160 My and indicate that the field was likely continuously active until well after the final large basin-forming impact. This likely excludes impact-driven changes in rotation rate as the source of the dynamo at this time in lunar history. Rather, our results require a persistent power source like precession of the lunar mantle or a compositional convection dynamo. PMID:23650386

  16. Persistence and origin of the lunar core dynamo.

    PubMed

    Suavet, Clément; Weiss, Benjamin P; Cassata, William S; Shuster, David L; Gattacceca, Jérôme; Chan, Lindsey; Garrick-Bethell, Ian; Head, James W; Grove, Timothy L; Fuller, Michael D

    2013-05-21

    The lifetime of the ancient lunar core dynamo has implications for its power source and the mechanism of field generation. Here, we report analyses of two 3.56-Gy-old mare basalts demonstrating that they were magnetized in a stable and surprisingly intense dynamo magnetic field of at least ~13 μT. These data extend the known lifetime of the lunar dynamo by ~160 My and indicate that the field was likely continuously active until well after the final large basin-forming impact. This likely excludes impact-driven changes in rotation rate as the source of the dynamo at this time in lunar history. Rather, our results require a persistent power source like precession of the lunar mantle or a compositional convection dynamo.

  17. First Numerical Simulations of Turbulent Dynamos Driven by Libration, Precession and Tides in Triaxial Ellipsoids - An Alternative Route for Planetary Magnetism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Le Bars, M.; Kanuganti, S. R.; Favier, B.

    2017-12-01

    Most of the time, planetary dynamos are - tacitly or not - associated with thermo-solutal convection. The convective dynamo model has indeed proven successful to explain the current Earth's magnetic field. However, its results are sometimes difficult to reconcile with observational data and its validity can be questioned for several celestial bodies. For instance, the small size of the Moon and Ganymede makes it difficult to maintain a sufficient temperature gradient to sustain convection and to explain their past and present magnetic fields, respectively. The same caveat applies to the growing number of planetesimals shown to have generated magnetic fields in their early history. Finally, the energy budget of the early Earth is difficult to reconcile with a convective dynamo before the onset of inner core growth. Significant effort has thus been put into finding new routes for planetary dynamo. In particular, the rotational dynamics of planets, moons and small bodies, where their average spinning motion is periodically perturbed by the small mechanical forcings of libration, precession and/or tides, is now widely accepted as an efficient source of core turbulence. The underlying mechanism relies on a parametric instability where the inertial waves of the rotating fluid core are resonantly excited by the small forcing, leading to exponential growth and bulk filling intense motions, pumping their energy from the orbital dynamics. Dynamos driven by mechanical forcing have been suggested for the Moon, Mars, Io, the early Earth, etc. However, the real dynamo capacity of the corresponding flows has up-to-now been studied only in very limited cases, with simplified spherical/spheroidal geometries and/or overly viscous fluids. We will present here the first numerical simulations of dynamos driven by libration, precession and tides, in the triaxial ellipsoidal geometry and in the turbulent regime relevant for planetary cores. We will describe the numerical techniques

  18. Measurements of dynamo effect on double-CHI pulse ST plasmas on HIST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ito, K.; Hanao, T.; Ishihara, M.; Matsumoto, K.; Higashi, T.; Kikuchi, Y.; Fukumoto, N.; Nagata, M.

    2011-10-01

    Coaxial Helicity injection (CHI) is an efficient current-drive method used in spheromak and spherical torus (ST) experiments. An anticipated issue for CHI is achieving good energy confinement, since it relies on the magnetic relaxation and dynamo. This is essentially because CHI cannot drive a dynamo directly inside a closed magnetic flux surface. Thus, it is an important issue to investigate dynamo effect to explore CHI current drive mechanisms in a new approach such as Multi-pulsing CHI method. To study the dynamo model with two-fluid Hall effects, we have started from the generalized Ohm law. We have measured each MHD dynamo term and Hall dynamo term separately by using Mach probe and Hall probe involving 3-axis magnetic pick-up coils. The result shows that the induced electric field due to MHD dynamo is large enough to sustain the mean toroidal current against resistive decay in the core region. In the other hand, the anti-dynamo effect in the MHD dynamo term is observed in the central open flux column (OFC) region. From the viewpoint of two-fluid theory, ion diamagnetic drift is opposite to the electron diamagnetic drift, maybe resulting in the anti-dynamo effect. Hall dynamo may arise from the fluctuating electron diamagnetic current due to high electron density gradient which is large in the OFC region.

  19. Laminar and Turbulent Dynamos in Chiral Magnetohydrodynamics. II. Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schober, Jennifer; Rogachevskii, Igor; Brandenburg, Axel; Boyarsky, Alexey; Fröhlich, Jürg; Ruchayskiy, Oleg; Kleeorin, Nathan

    2018-05-01

    Using direct numerical simulations (DNS), we study laminar and turbulent dynamos in chiral magnetohydrodynamics with an extended set of equations that accounts for an additional contribution to the electric current due to the chiral magnetic effect (CME). This quantum phenomenon originates from an asymmetry between left- and right-handed relativistic fermions in the presence of a magnetic field and gives rise to a chiral dynamo. We show that the magnetic field evolution proceeds in three stages: (1) a small-scale chiral dynamo instability, (2) production of chiral magnetically driven turbulence and excitation of a large-scale dynamo instability due to a new chiral effect (α μ effect), and (3) saturation of magnetic helicity and magnetic field growth controlled by a conservation law for the total chirality. The α μ effect becomes dominant at large fluid and magnetic Reynolds numbers and is not related to kinetic helicity. The growth rate of the large-scale magnetic field and its characteristic scale measured in the numerical simulations agree well with theoretical predictions based on mean-field theory. The previously discussed two-stage chiral magnetic scenario did not include stage (2), during which the characteristic scale of magnetic field variations can increase by many orders of magnitude. Based on the findings from numerical simulations, the relevance of the CME and the chiral effects revealed in the relativistic plasma of the early universe and of proto-neutron stars are discussed.

  20. Magnetized Turbulent Dynamo in Protogalaxies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Leonid Malyshkin; Russell M. Kulsrud

    The prevailing theory for the origin of cosmic magnetic fields is that they have been amplified to their present values by the turbulent dynamo inductive action in the protogalactic and galactic medium. Up to now, in calculation of the turbulent dynamo, it has been customary to assume that there is no back reaction of the magnetic field on the turbulence, as long as the magnetic energy is less than the turbulent kinetic energy. This assumption leads to the kinematic dynamo theory. However, the applicability of this theory to protogalaxies is rather limited. The reason is that in protogalaxies the temperaturemore » is very high, and the viscosity is dominated by magnetized ions. As the magnetic field strength grows in time, the ion cyclotron time becomes shorter than the ion collision time, and the plasma becomes strongly magnetized. As a result, the ion viscosity becomes the Braginskii viscosity. Thus, in protogalaxies the back reaction sets in much earlier, at field strengths much lower than those which correspond to field-turbulence energy equipartition, and the turbulent dynamo becomes what we call the magnetized turbulent dynamo. In this paper we lay the theoretical groundwork for the magnetized turbulent dynamo. In particular, we predict that the magnetic energy growth rate in the magnetized dynamo theory is up to ten times larger than that in the kinematic dynamo theory. We also briefly discuss how the Braginskii viscosity can aid the development of the inverse cascade of magnetic energy after the energy equipartition is reached.« less

  1. The precession dynamo experiment at HZDR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giesecke, A.; Albrecht, T.; Gerbeth, G.; Gundrum, T.; Nore, C.; Stefani, F.; Steglich, C.

    2013-12-01

    Most planets of the solar system are accompanied by a magnetic field with a large scale structure. These fields are generated by the dynamo effect, the process that provides for the transfer of kinetic energy from a flow of a conducting fluid into magnetic energy. In case of planetary dynamos it is generally assumed that these flows are driven by thermal and/or chemical convection but other driving sources like libration, tidal forcing or precession are possible as well. Precessional forcing, in particular, has been discussed since long as an at least additional power source for the geodynamo. A fluid flow of liquid sodium, solely driven by precession, will be the source for magnetic field generation in the next generation dynamo experiment currently under development at the Helmholz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). In contrast to previous dynamo experiments no internal blades, propellers or complex systems of guiding tubes will be used for the optimization of the flow properties. However, in order to reach sufficiently high magnetic Reynolds numbers required for the onset of dynamo action rather large dimensions of the container are necessary making the construction of the experiment a challenge. At present state a small scale water experiment is running in order to estimate the hydrodynamic flow properties in dependence of precession angle and precession rate. The measurements are utilized in combination with numerical simulations of the hydrodynamic case as input data for kinematic simulations of the induction equation. The resulting growth rates and the corresponding critical magnetic Reynolds numbers will provide a restriction of the useful parameter regime and will allow an optimization of the experimental configuration.

  2. Transitions in rapidly rotating convection dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tilgner, A.

    2013-12-01

    It is commonly assumed that buoyancy in the fluid core powers the geodynamo. We study here the minimal model of a convection driven dynamo, which is a horizontal plane layer in a gravity field, filled with electrically conducting fluid, heated from below and cooled from above, and rotating about a vertical axis. Such a plane layer may be viewed as a local approximation to the geophysically more relevant spherical geometry. The numerical simulations have been run on graphics processing units with at least 960 cores. If the convection is driven stronger and stronger at fixed rotation rate, the flow behaves at some point as if it was not rotating. This transition shows in the scaling of the heat transport which can be used to distinguish slow from rapid rotation. One expects dynamos to behave differently in these two flow regimes. But even within the convection flows which are rapidly rotating according to this criterion, it will be shown that different types of dynamos exist. In one state, the magnetic field strength obeys a scaling indicative of a magnetostrophic balance, in which the Lorentz force is in equilibrium with the Coriolis force. The flow in this case is helical. A different state exists at higher magnetic Reynolds numbers, in which the magnetic energy obeys a different scaling law and the helicity of the flow is much reduced. As one increases the Rayleigh number, all other parameters kept constant, one may find both types of dynamos separated by an interval of Rayleigh numbers in which there are no dynamos at all. The effect of these transitions on energy dissipation and mean field generation have also been studied.

  3. Magnetic field amplification via protostellar disc dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dyda, S.; Lovelace, R. V. E.; Ustyugova, G. V.; Koldoba, A. V.; Wasserman, I.

    2018-06-01

    We numerically investigate the generation of a magnetic field in a protostellar disc via an αΩ-dynamo and the resulting magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) driven outflows. We find that for small values of the dimensionless dynamo parameter αd, the poloidal field grows exponentially at a rate σ ∝ Ω _K √{α _d}, before saturating to a value ∝ √{α _d}. The dynamo excites dipole and octupole modes, but quadrupole modes are suppressed, because of the symmetries of the seed field. Initial seed fields too weak to launch MHD outflows are found to grow sufficiently to launch winds with observationally relevant mass fluxes of the order of 10^{-9} M_{⊙} yr^{-1} for T Tauri stars. This suggests that αΩ-dynamos may be responsible for generating magnetic fields strong enough to launch observed outflows.

  4. Simulation of Dynamo Action Generated by a Precession Driven Flow.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giesecke, A.; Vogt, T.; Gundrum, T.; Stefani, F.

    2017-12-01

    Since many years precession is regarded as an alternative flow drivingmechanism that may account, e.g., for remarkable features of theancient lunar magnetic field [Dwyer 2011; Noir 2013; Weiss 2014] or asa complementary power source for the geodynamo [Malkus 1968; Vanyo1991]. Precessional forcing is also of great interest from theexperimental point of view because it represents a natural forcingmechanism that allows an efficient driving of conducting fluid flowson the laboratory scale without making use of propellers orpumps. Within the project DRESDYN (DREsden Sodium facility for DYNamoand thermohydraulic studies) a dynamo experiment is under developmentat Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) in which a precessiondriven flow of liquid sodium with a magnetic Reynolds number of up toRm=700 will be used to drive dynamo action.Our present study addresses preparative numerical simulations and flowmeasurements at a small model experiment running with water. Theresulting flow pattern and amplitude provide the essential ingredientsfor kinematic dynamo models that are used to estimate whether theparticular flow is able to drive a dynamo. In the strongly non-linearregime the flow essentially consists of standing inertial waves (see Figure). Most remarkable feature is the occurrence of a resonant-like axisymmetricmode which emerges around a precession ratio of Ωp/Ωc = 0.1on top of the directly forced re-circulation flow. The combination ofthis axisymmetric mode and the forced m=1 Kelvin mode is indeedcapable of driving a dynamo at a critical magnetic Reynolds number ofRmc=430 which is well within the range achievable in theexperiment. However, the occurrence of the axisymmetric mode slightlydepends on the absolute rotation rate of the cylinder and futureexperiments are required to indicate whether it persists at theextremely large Re that will be obtained in the large scale sodiumexperiment.

  5. Local magnetohydrodynamic instabilities and the wave-driven dynamo in accretion disks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vishniac, Ethan T.; Diamond, Patrick

    1992-01-01

    We consider the consequences of magnetic buoyancy and the magnetic shearing instability (MSI) on the strength and organization of the magnetic field in a thin accretion disk. We discuss a model in which the wave-driven dynamo growth rate is balanced by the dissipative effects of the MSI. As in earlier work, the net helicity is due to small advective motions driven by nonlinear interactions between internal waves. Assuming a simple model of the internal wave spectrum generated from the primary m = 1 internal waves, we find that the magnetic energy density saturates at about (H/r) exp 4/3 times the local pressure (where H is the disk thickness and r is its radius). On very small scales the shearing instability will produce an isotropic fluctuating field. For a stationary disk this is equivalent to a dimensionless 'viscosity' of about (H/r) exp 4/3. The vertical and radial diffusion coefficients will be comparable to each other. Magnetic buoyancy will be largely suppressed by the turbulence due to the MSI. We present a rough estimate of its effects and find that it removes magnetic flux from the disk at a rate comparable to that caused by turbulent diffusion.

  6. Searching for the fastest dynamo: laminar ABC flows.

    PubMed

    Alexakis, Alexandros

    2011-08-01

    The growth rate of the dynamo instability as a function of the magnetic Reynolds number R(M) is investigated by means of numerical simulations for the family of the Arnold-Beltrami-Childress (ABC) flows and for two different forcing scales. For the ABC flows that are driven at the largest available length scale, it is found that, as the magnetic Reynolds number is increased: (a) The flow that results first in a dynamo is the 2 1/2-dimensional flow for which A=B and C=0 (and all permutations). (b) The second type of flow that results in a dynamo is the one for which A=B≃2C/5 (and permutations). (c) The most symmetric flow, A=B=C, is the third type of flow that results in a dynamo. (d) As R(M) is increased, the A=B=C flow stops being a dynamo and transitions from a local maximum to a third-order saddle point. (e) At larger R(M), the A=B=C flow reestablishes itself as a dynamo but remains a saddle point. (f) At the largest examined R(M), the growth rate of the 2 1/2-dimensional flows starts to decay, the A=B=C flow comes close to a local maximum again, and the flow A=B≃2C/5 (and permutations) results in the fastest dynamo with growth rate γ≃0.12 at the largest examined R(M). For the ABC flows that are driven at the second largest available length scale, it is found that (a) the 2 1/2-dimensional flows A=B,C=0 (and permutations) are again the first flows that result in a dynamo with a decreased onset. (b) The most symmetric flow, A=B=C, is the second type of flow that results in a dynamo. It is, and it remains, a local maximum. (c) At larger R(M), the flow A=B≃2C/5 (and permutations) appears as the third type of flow that results in a dynamo. As R(M) is increased, it becomes the flow with the largest growth rate. The growth rates appear to have some correlation with the Lyapunov exponents, but constructive refolding of the field lines appears equally important in determining the fastest dynamo flow.

  7. Turbulent Dynamo Amplification of Magnetic Fields in Laser-Produced Plasmas: Simulations and Experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tzeferacos, P.; Rigby, A.; Bott, A.; Bell, A.; Bingham, R.; Casner, A.; Cattaneo, F.; Churazov, E.; Forest, C.; Katz, J.; Koenig, M.; Li, C.-K.; Meinecke, J.; Petrasso, R.; Park, H.-S.; Remington, B.; Ross, J.; Ryutov, D.; Ryu, D.; Reville, B.; Miniati, F.; Schekochihin, A.; Froula, D.; Lamb, D.; Gregori, G.

    2017-10-01

    The universe is permeated by magnetic fields, with strengths ranging from a femtogauss in the voids between the filaments of galaxy clusters to several teragauss in black holes and neutron stars. The standard model for cosmological magnetic fields is the nonlinear amplification of seed fields via turbulent dynamo. We have conceived experiments to demonstrate and study the turbulent dynamo mechanism in the laboratory. Here, we describe the design of these experiments through large-scale 3D FLASH simulations on the Mira supercomputer at ANL, and the laser-driven experiments we conducted with the OMEGA laser at LLE. Our results indicate that turbulence is capable of rapidly amplifying seed fields to near equipartition with the turbulent fluid motions. This work was supported in part from the ERC (FP7/2007-2013, No. 256973 and 247039), and the U.S. DOE, Contract No. B591485 to LLNL, FWP 57789 to ANL, Grant No. DE-NA0002724 and DE-SC0016566 to the University of Chicago, and DE-AC02-06CH11357 to ANL.

  8. A Single Mode Study of a Quasi-Geostrophic Convection-Driven Dynamo Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plumley, M.; Calkins, M. A.; Julien, K. A.; Tobias, S.

    2017-12-01

    Planetary magnetic fields are thought to be the product of hydromagnetic dynamo action. For Earth, this process occurs within the convecting, turbulent and rapidly rotating outer core, where the dynamics are characterized by low Rossby, low magnetic Prandtl and high Rayleigh numbers. Progress in studying dynamos has been limited by current computing capabilities and the difficulties in replicating the extreme values that define this setting. Asymptotic models that embrace these extreme parameter values and enforce the dominant balance of geostrophy provide an option for the study of convective flows with actual relevance to geophysics. The quasi-geostrophic dynamo model (QGDM) is a multiscale, fully-nonlinear Cartesian dynamo model that is valid in the asymptotic limit of low Rossby number. We investigate the QGDM using a simplified class of solutions that consist of a single horizontal wavenumber which enforces a horizontal structure on the solutions. This single mode study is used to explore multiscale time stepping techniques and analyze the influence of the magnetic field on convection.

  9. Experimental observation of spatially localized dynamo magnetic fields.

    PubMed

    Gallet, B; Aumaître, S; Boisson, J; Daviaud, F; Dubrulle, B; Bonnefoy, N; Bourgoin, M; Odier, Ph; Pinton, J-F; Plihon, N; Verhille, G; Fauve, S; Pétrélis, F

    2012-04-06

    We report the first experimental observation of a spatially localized dynamo magnetic field, a common feature of astrophysical dynamos and convective dynamo simulations. When the two propellers of the von Kármán sodium experiment are driven at frequencies that differ by 15%, the mean magnetic field's energy measured close to the slower disk is nearly 10 times larger than the one close to the faster one. This strong localization of the magnetic field when a symmetry of the forcing is broken is in good agreement with a prediction based on the interaction between a dipolar and a quadrupolar magnetic mode. © 2012 American Physical Society

  10. A deep dynamo generating Mercury's magnetic field.

    PubMed

    Christensen, Ulrich R

    2006-12-21

    Mercury has a global magnetic field of internal origin and it is thought that a dynamo operating in the fluid part of Mercury's large iron core is the most probable cause. However, the low intensity of Mercury's magnetic field--about 1% the strength of the Earth's field--cannot be reconciled with an Earth-like dynamo. With the common assumption that Coriolis and Lorentz forces balance in planetary dynamos, a field thirty times stronger is expected. Here I present a numerical model of a dynamo driven by thermo-compositional convection associated with inner core solidification. The thermal gradient at the core-mantle boundary is subadiabatic, and hence the outer region of the liquid core is stably stratified with the dynamo operating only at depth, where a strong field is generated. Because of the planet's slow rotation the resulting magnetic field is dominated by small-scale components that fluctuate rapidly with time. The dynamo field diffuses through the stable conducting region, where rapidly varying parts are strongly attenuated by the skin effect, while the slowly varying dipole and quadrupole components pass to some degree. The model explains the observed structure and strength of Mercury's surface magnetic field and makes predictions that are testable with space missions both presently flying and planned.

  11. Radiative transfer dynamo effect

    DOE PAGES

    Munirov, Vadim R.; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

    2017-01-17

    Here, magnetic fields in rotating and radiating astrophysical plasma can be produced due to a radiative interaction between plasma layers moving relative to each other. The efficiency of current drive, and with it the associated dynamo effect, is considered in a number of limits. It is shown here, however, that predictions for these generated magnetic fields can be significantly higher when kinetic effects, previously neglected, are taken into account.

  12. Radiative transfer dynamo effect.

    PubMed

    Munirov, Vadim R; Fisch, Nathaniel J

    2017-01-01

    Magnetic fields in rotating and radiating astrophysical plasma can be produced due to a radiative interaction between plasma layers moving relative to each other. The efficiency of current drive, and with it the associated dynamo effect, is considered in a number of limits. It is shown here, however, that predictions for these generated magnetic fields can be significantly higher when kinetic effects, previously neglected, are taken into account.

  13. The ω{OMEGA} dynamo in accretion disks of rotating black holes.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khanna, R.; Camenzind, M.

    1996-03-01

    We develop the kinematic theory of axisymmetric dynamo action in the innermost part of an accretion disk around a rotating black hole. The problem is formulated in the 3+1 split of Kerr spacetime. It turns out that the gravitomagnetic field of the hole gives rise to a dynamo current for the the poloidal magnetic field without any need of turbulent plasma motions even in axisymmetry. We show that Cowling's theorem does not apply in the Kerr metric. This gravitomagnetic dynamo effect (ω-effect) requires finite diffusivity and is enhanced by anomalous or turbulent magnetic diffusivity. The reformulation of the problem in the framework of mean field magnetohydrodynamics introduces the familiar α-effect. The dynamo equations are formally identical with their classical equivalents (i.e. equations for the α{OMEGA} dynamo in flat space), augmented by the general relativistic ω-effect-term as source. We have carried out time-dependent numerical simulations of the dynamo in a turbulent differentially rotating accretion disk using a finite element code with implicit time-stepping. The advection of the magnetic field with the plasma is fully included. Solutions are discussed for extremely and less rapidly rotating black holes. We observe growing dipolar, quadrupolar and mixed modes, the second being, however, dominant. A common feature of all our simulations of the ω{OMEGA} dynamo is that it will finally build up a stellar like magnetosphere around the black hole, which blends into the outer disk field topology in a transition region. This finding enforces the analogy in the models of jet formation in AGN and YSOs. An interesting feature occurs for less rapidly rotating holes. The frame dragging effect introduces a boundary layer in the plasma rotation, where the plasma is prone to resistive magnetohydrodynamical instabilities such as the rippling mode or the tearing mode and thus the boundary layer has to be regarded as a potential site of particle acceleration. We also

  14. Numerical modeling of the Madison Dynamo Experiment.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bayliss, R. A.; Wright, J. C.; Forest, C. B.; O'Connell, R.

    2002-11-01

    Growth, saturation and turbulent evolution of the Madison dynamo experiment is investigated numerically using a 3-D pseudo-spectral simulation of the MHD equations; results of the simulations will be compared to results obtained from the experiment. The code, Dynamo (Fortran90), allows for full evolution of the magnetic and velocity fields. The induction equation governing B and the curl of the momentum equation governing V are separately or simultaneously solved. The code uses a spectral representation via spherical harmonic basis functions of the vector fields in longitude and latitude, and fourth order finite differences in the radial direction. The magnetic field evolution has been benchmarked against the laminar kinematic dynamo predicted by M.L. Dudley and R.W. James (M.L. Dudley and R.W. James, Time-dependent kinematic dynamos with stationary flows, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 425, p. 407 (1989)). Power balance in the system has been verified in both mechanically driven and perturbed hydrodynamic, kinematic, and dynamic cases. Evolution of the vacuum magnetic field has been added to facilitate comparison with the experiment. Modeling of the Madison Dynamo eXperiment will be presented.

  15. Covariant and 3 + 1 Equations for Dynamo-Chiral General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Del Zanna, L.; Bucciantini, N.

    2018-06-01

    The exponential amplification of initial seed magnetic fields in relativistic plasmas is a very important topic in astrophysics, from the conditions in the early Universe to the interior of neutron stars. While dynamo action in a turbulent plasma is often invoked, in the last years a novel mechanism of quantum origin has gained increasingly more attention, namely the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME). This has been recognized in semi-metals and it is most likely at work in the quark-gluon plasma formed in heavy-ion collision experiments, where the highest magnetic fields in nature, up to B ˜ 1018 G, are produced. This effect is expected to survive even at large hydrodynamical/MHD scales and it is based on the chiral anomaly due to an imbalance between left- and right-handed relativistic fermions in the constituent plasma. Such imbalance leads to an electric current parallel to an external magnetic field, which is precisely the same mechanism of an α-dynamo action in classical MHD. Here we extend the close parallelism between the chiral and the dynamo effects to relativistic plasmas and we propose a unified, fully covariant formulation of the generalized Ohm's law. Moreover, we derive for the first time the 3 + 1 general relativistic MHD equations for a chiral plasma both in flat and curved spacetimes, in view of numerical investigation of the CME in compact objects, especially magnetars, or of the interplay among the non-ideal magnetic effects of dynamo, the CME and reconnection.

  16. Generation of Currents in Weakly Ionized Plasmas through a Collisional Dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dimant, Yakov; Oppenheim, Meers; Fletcher, Alex

    2016-10-01

    Intense electric currents called electrojets occur in weakly ionized magnetized plasmas. An example occurs in the Earth's ionosphere near the magnetic equator where neutral winds drive the plasma across the geomagnetic field. Similar processes take place in the Solar chromosphere and MHD generators. We argue that not all convective neutral flows generate electrojets and it introduces the corresponding universal criterion for the current formation, ∇ × (U-> × B->) ≠ ∂ B-> / ∂ t , where U-> is the neutral flow velocity, B-> is the magnetic field, and t is time. This criterion does not depend on the conductivity tensor, σ̂ . For many systems, the displacement current, ∂ B-> / ∂ t , is negligible, making the criterion even simpler. This theory also shows that the neutral-dynamo driver that generates electrojets plays the same role as the DC electric current plays for the generation of the magnetic field in the Biot-Savart law. Work supported by NSF/DOE Grant PHY-1500439.

  17. Modeling of the coupled magnetospheric and neutral wind dynamos

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thayer, Jeffrey P.

    1994-01-01

    This report summarizes the progress made in the first year of NASA Grant No. NAGW-3508 entitled 'Modeling of the Coupled Magnetospheric and Neutral Wind Dynamos.' The approach taken has been to impose magnetospheric boundary conditions with either pure voltage or current characteristics and solve the neutral wind dynamo equation under these conditions. The imposed boundary conditions determine whether the neutral wind dynamo will contribute to the high-latitude current system or the electric potential. The semi-annual technical report, dated December 15, 1993, provides further detail describing the scientific and numerical approach of the project. The numerical development has progressed and the dynamo solution for the case when the magnetosphere acts as a voltage source has been evaluated completely using spectral techniques. The simulation provides the field-aligned current distribution at high latitudes due to the neutral wind dynamo. A number of geophysical conditions can be simulated to evaluate the importance of the neutral wind dynamo contribution to the field-aligned current system. On average, field-aligned currents generated by the neutral wind dynamo contributed as much as 30 percent to the large-scale field-aligned current system driven by the magnetosphere. A term analysis of the high-latitude neutral wind dynamo equation describing the field aligned current distribution has also been developed to illustrate the important contributing factors involved in the process. The case describing the neutral dynamo response for a magnetosphere acting as a pure current generator requires the existing spectral code to be extended to a pseudo-spectral method and is currently under development.

  18. Dynamos driven by weak thermal convection and heterogeneous outer boundary heat flux

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sahoo, Swarandeep; Sreenivasan, Binod; Amit, Hagay

    2016-01-01

    We use numerical dynamo models with heterogeneous core-mantle boundary (CMB) heat flux to show that lower mantle lateral thermal variability may help support a dynamo under weak thermal convection. In our reference models with homogeneous CMB heat flux, convection is either marginally supercritical or absent, always below the threshold for dynamo onset. We find that lateral CMB heat flux variations organize the flow in the core into patterns that favour the growth of an early magnetic field. Heat flux patterns symmetric about the equator produce non-reversing magnetic fields, whereas anti-symmetric patterns produce polarity reversals. Our results may explain the existence of the geodynamo prior to inner core nucleation under a tight energy budget. Furthermore, in order to sustain a strong geomagnetic field, the lower mantle thermal distribution was likely dominantly symmetric about the equator.

  19. Extended MHD Modeling of Tearing-Driven Magnetic Relaxation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sauppe, Joshua

    2016-10-01

    Driven plasma pinch configurations are characterized by the gradual accumulation and episodic release of free energy in discrete relaxation events. The hallmark of this relaxation in a reversed-field pinch (RFP) plasma is flattening of the parallel current density profile effected by a fluctuation-induced dynamo emf in Ohm's law. Nonlinear two-fluid modeling of macroscopic RFP dynamics has shown appreciable coupling of magnetic relaxation and the evolution of plasma flow. Accurate modeling of RFP dynamics requires the Hall effect in Ohm's law as well as first order ion finite Larmor radius (FLR) effects, represented by the Braginskii ion gyroviscous stress tensor. New results find that the Hall dynamo effect from < J × B > / ne can counter the MHD effect from - < V × B > in some of the relaxation events. The MHD effect dominates these events and relaxes the current profile toward the Taylor state, but the opposition of the two dynamos generates plasma flow in the direction of equilibrium current density, consistent with experimental measurements. Detailed experimental measurements of the MHD and Hall emf terms are compared to these extended MHD predictions. Tracking the evolution of magnetic energy, helicity, and hybrid helicity during relaxation identifies the most important contributions in single-fluid and two-fluid models. Magnetic helicity is well conserved relative to the magnetic energy during relaxation. The hybrid helicity is dominated by magnetic helicity in realistic low-beta pinch conditions and is also well conserved. Differences of less than 1 % between magnetic helicity and hybrid helicity are observed with two-fluid modeling and result from cross helicity evolution through ion FLR effects, which have not been included in contemporary relaxation theories. The kinetic energy driven by relaxation in the computations is dominated by velocity components perpendicular to the magnetic field, an effect that had not been predicted. Work performed at

  20. Fluctuation driven EMFs in the Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaplan, Elliot; Brown, Ben; Clark, Mike; Nornberg, Mark; Rahbarnia, Kian; Rasmus, Alex; Taylor, Zane; Forest, Cary

    2013-04-01

    The Madison Dynamo Experiment is a 1 m diameter sphere filled with liquid Sodium designed to study MHD in a simply connected geometry. Two impellers drive a two-vortex flow, based on the calculations of Dudley and James, intended to excite system-scale dynamo instability. We present a collection of results from experiments measuring hydrodynamic fluctuations and their MHD effects. An equatorial baffle was added to the experiment in order to diminish the large-eddy hydrodynamic fluctuations by stabilizing the shear layer between the two counter-rotating flow cells. The change in the fluctuation levels was inferred from the change in the spatial spectrum of the induced magnetic field. This reduction correlated with a 2.4 times increase in the induced toroidal magnetic field (a proxy measure of the effective resistivity). Furthermore, the local velocity fluctuations were directly measured by the addition of a 3-d emf probe (a strong permanent magnet inserted into the flow with electrical leads to measure the induced voltage, and magnetic probes to determine the magnetic fluctuations). The measured emfs are consistent with the enhanced magnetic diffusivity interpretation of mean-field MHD.

  1. Magnetorotational Turbulence and Dynamo in a Collisionless Plasma.

    PubMed

    Kunz, Matthew W; Stone, James M; Quataert, Eliot

    2016-12-02

    We present results from the first 3D kinetic numerical simulation of magnetorotational turbulence and dynamo, using the local shearing-box model of a collisionless accretion disk. The kinetic magnetorotational instability grows from a subthermal magnetic field having zero net flux over the computational domain to generate self-sustained turbulence and outward angular-momentum transport. Significant Maxwell and Reynolds stresses are accompanied by comparable viscous stresses produced by field-aligned ion pressure anisotropy, which is regulated primarily by the mirror and ion-cyclotron instabilities through particle trapping and pitch-angle scattering. The latter endow the plasma with an effective viscosity that is biased with respect to the magnetic-field direction and spatiotemporally variable. Energy spectra suggest an Alfvén-wave cascade at large scales and a kinetic-Alfvén-wave cascade at small scales, with strong small-scale density fluctuations and weak nonaxisymmetric density waves. Ions undergo nonthermal particle acceleration, their distribution accurately described by a κ distribution. These results have implications for the properties of low-collisionality accretion flows, such as that near the black hole at the Galactic center.

  2. Magnetic Helicities and Dynamo Action in Magneto-rotational Turbulence

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bodo, G.; Rossi, P.; Cattaneo, F.

    We examine the relationship between magnetic flux generation, taken as an indicator of large-scale dynamo action, and magnetic helicity, computed as an integral over the dynamo volume, in a simple dynamo. We consider dynamo action driven by magneto-rotational turbulence (MRT) within the shearing-box approximation. We consider magnetically open boundary conditions that allow a flux of helicity in or out of the computational domain. We circumvent the problem of the lack of gauge invariance in open domains by choosing a particular gauge—the winding gauge—that provides a natural interpretation in terms of the average winding number of pairwise field lines. We usemore » this gauge precisely to define and measure the helicity and the helicity flux for several realizations of dynamo action. We find in these cases that the system as a whole does not break reflectional symmetry and that the total helicity remains small even in cases when substantial magnetic flux is generated. We find no particular connection between the generation of magnetic flux and the helicity or the helicity flux through the boundaries. We suggest that this result may be due to the essentially nonlinear nature of the dynamo processes in MRT.« less

  3. Numerical simulations of current generation and dynamo excitation in a mechanically forced turbulent flow.

    PubMed

    Bayliss, R A; Forest, C B; Nornberg, M D; Spence, E J; Terry, P W

    2007-02-01

    The role of turbulence in current generation and self-excitation of magnetic fields has been studied in the geometry of a mechanically driven, spherical dynamo experiment, using a three-dimensional numerical computation. A simple impeller model drives a flow that can generate a growing magnetic field, depending on the magnetic Reynolds number Rm=micro0sigmaVa and the fluid Reynolds number Re=Vanu of the flow. For Re<420, the flow is laminar and the dynamo transition is governed by a threshold of Rmcrit=100, above which a growing magnetic eigenmode is observed that is primarily a dipole field transverse to the axis of symmetry of the flow. In saturation, the Lorentz force slows the flow such that the magnetic eigenmode becomes marginally stable. For Re>420 and Rm approximately 100 the flow becomes turbulent and the dynamo eigenmode is suppressed. The mechanism of suppression is a combination of a time varying large-scale field and the presence of fluctuation driven currents (such as those predicted by the mean-field theory), which effectively enhance the magnetic diffusivity. For higher Rm, a dynamo reappears; however, the structure of the magnetic field is often different from the laminar dynamo. It is dominated by a dipolar magnetic field aligned with the axis of symmetry of the mean-flow, which is apparently generated by fluctuation-driven currents. The magnitude and structure of the fluctuation-driven currents have been studied by applying a weak, axisymmetric seed magnetic field to laminar and turbulent flows. An Ohm's law analysis of the axisymmetric currents allows the fluctuation-driven currents to be identified. The magnetic fields generated by the fluctuations are significant: a dipole moment aligned with the symmetry axis of the mean-flow is generated similar to those observed in the experiment, and both toroidal and poloidal flux expulsion are observed.

  4. Stochastic flux freezing and magnetic dynamo.

    PubMed

    Eyink, Gregory L

    2011-05-01

    Magnetic flux conservation in turbulent plasmas at high magnetic Reynolds numbers is argued neither to hold in the conventional sense nor to be entirely broken, but instead to be valid in a statistical sense associated to the "spontaneous stochasticity" of Lagrangian particle trajectories. The latter phenomenon is due to the explosive separation of particles undergoing turbulent Richardson diffusion, which leads to a breakdown of Laplacian determinism for classical dynamics. Empirical evidence is presented for spontaneous stochasticity, including numerical results. A Lagrangian path-integral approach is then exploited to establish stochastic flux freezing for resistive hydromagnetic equations and to argue, based on the properties of Richardson diffusion, that flux conservation must remain stochastic at infinite magnetic Reynolds number. An important application of these results is the kinematic, fluctuation dynamo in nonhelical, incompressible turbulence at magnetic Prandtl number (Pr(m)) equal to unity. Numerical results on the Lagrangian dynamo mechanisms by a stochastic particle method demonstrate a strong similarity between the Pr(m)=1 and 0 dynamos. Stochasticity of field-line motion is an essential ingredient of both. Finally, some consequences for nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, dynamo, and reconnection are briefly considered. © 2011 American Physical Society

  5. The Storm Time Evolution of the Ionospheric Disturbance Plasma Drifts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Ruilong; Liu, Libo; Le, Huijun; Chen, Yiding; Kuai, Jiawei

    2017-11-01

    In this paper, we use the C/NOFS and ROCSAT-1 satellites observations to analyze the storm time evolution of the disturbance plasma drifts in a 24 h local time scale during three magnetic storms driven by long-lasting southward IMF Bz. The disturbance plasma drifts during the three storms present some common features in the periods dominated by the disturbance dynamo. The newly formed disturbance plasma drifts are upward and westward at night, and downward and eastward during daytime. Further, the disturbance plasma drifts are gradually evolved to present significant local time shifts. The westward disturbance plasma drifts gradually migrate from nightside to dayside. Meanwhile, the dayside downward disturbance plasma drifts become enhanced and shift to later local time. The local time shifts in disturbance plasma drifts are suggested to be mainly attributed to the evolution of the disturbance winds. The strong disturbance winds arisen around midnight can constantly corotate to later local time. At dayside the westward and equatorward disturbance winds can drive the F region dynamo to produce the poleward and westward polarization electric fields (or the westward and downward disturbance drifts). The present results indicate that the disturbance winds corotated to later local time can affect the local time features of the disturbance dynamo electric field.

  6. Planetary Dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaur, Vinod K.

    The article begins with a reference to the first rational approaches to explaining the earth's magnetic field notably Elsasser's application of magneto-hydrodynamics, followed by brief outlines of the characteristics of planetary magnetic fields and of the potentially insightful homopolar dynamo in illuminating the basic issues: theoretical requirements of asymmetry and finite conductivity in sustaining the dynamo process. It concludes with sections on Dynamo modeling and, in particular, the Geo-dynamo, but not before some of the evocative physical processes mediated by the Lorentz force and the behaviour of a flux tube embedded in a perfectly conducting fluid, using Alfvén theorem, are explained, as well as the traditional intermediate approaches to investigating dynamo processes using the more tractable Kinematic models.

  7. The solar dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hathaway, David H.

    1994-01-01

    The solar dynamo is the process by which the Sun's magnetic field is generated through the interaction of the field with convection and rotation. In this, it is kin to planetary dynamos and other stellar dynamos. Although the precise mechanism by which the Sun generates its field remains poorly understood in spite of decades of theoretical and observational work, recent advances suggest that solutions to this solar dynamo problem may be forthcoming. The two basic processes involved in dynamo activity are demonstrated and the Sun's activity effects are presented in this document, along with a historical perspective regarding solar dynamos and the efforts to understand and measure them.

  8. Laminar and Turbulent Dynamos in Chiral Magnetohydrodynamics. I. Theory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rogachevskii, Igor; Kleeorin, Nathan; Ruchayskiy, Oleg

    2017-09-10

    The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) description of plasmas with relativistic particles necessarily includes an additional new field, the chiral chemical potential associated with the axial charge (i.e., the number difference between right- and left-handed relativistic fermions). This chiral chemical potential gives rise to a contribution to the electric current density of the plasma ( chiral magnetic effect ). We present a self-consistent treatment of the chiral MHD equations , which include the back-reaction of the magnetic field on a chiral chemical potential and its interaction with the plasma velocity field. A number of novel phenomena are exhibited. First, we show that themore » chiral magnetic effect decreases the frequency of the Alfvén wave for incompressible flows, increases the frequencies of the Alfvén wave and of the fast magnetosonic wave for compressible flows, and decreases the frequency of the slow magnetosonic wave. Second, we show that, in addition to the well-known laminar chiral dynamo effect, which is not related to fluid motions, there is a dynamo caused by the joint action of velocity shear and chiral magnetic effect. In the presence of turbulence with vanishing mean kinetic helicity, the derived mean-field chiral MHD equations describe turbulent large-scale dynamos caused by the chiral alpha effect, which is dominant for large fluid and magnetic Reynolds numbers. The chiral alpha effect is due to an interaction of the chiral magnetic effect and fluctuations of the small-scale current produced by tangling magnetic fluctuations (which are generated by tangling of the large-scale magnetic field by sheared velocity fluctuations). These dynamo effects may have interesting consequences in the dynamics of the early universe, neutron stars, and the quark–gluon plasma.« less

  9. Recent and future liquid metal experiments on homogeneous dynamo action and magnetic instabilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stefani, Frank; Gerbeth, Gunter; Giesecke, Andre; Gundrum, Thomas; Kirillov, Oleg; Seilmayer, Martin; Gellert, Marcus; Rüdiger, Günther; Gailitis, Agris

    2011-10-01

    The present status of the Riga dynamo experiment is summarized and the prospects for its future exploitation are evaluated. We further discuss the plans for a large-scale precession driven dynamo experiment to be set-up in the framework of the new installation DRESDYN (DREsden Sodium facility for dynamo and thermohydraulic studies) at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf. We report recent investigations of the magnetorotational instability and the Tayler instability and sketch the plans for another large-scale liquid sodium facility devoted to the combined study of both effects.

  10. A study of the required Rayleigh number to sustain dynamo with various inner core radius

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishida, Y.; Katoh, Y.; Matsui, H.; Kumamoto, A.

    2017-12-01

    It is widely accepted that the geomagnetic field is sustained by thermal and compositional driven convections of a liquid iron alloy in the outer core. The generation process of the geomagnetic field has been studied by a number of MHD dynamo simulations. Recent studies of the ratio of the Earth's core evolution suggest that the inner solid core radius ri to the outer liquid core radius ro changed from ri/ro = 0 to 0.35 during the last one billion years. There are some studies of dynamo in the early Earth with smaller inner core than the present. Heimpel et al. (2005) revealed the Rayleigh number Ra of the onset of dynamo process as a function of ri/ro from simulation, while paleomagnetic observation shows that the geomagnetic field has been sustained for 3.5 billion years. While Heimpel and Evans (2013) studied dynamo processes taking into account the thermal history of the Earth's interior, there were few cases corresponding to the early Earth. Driscoll (2016) performed a series of dynamo based on a thermal evolution model. Despite a number of dynamo simulations, dynamo process occurring in the interior of the early Earth has not been fully understood because the magnetic Prandtl numbers in these simulations are much larger than that for the actual outer core.In the present study, we performed thermally driven dynamo simulations with different aspect ratio ri/ro = 0.15, 0.25 and 0.35 to evaluate the critical Ra for the thermal convection and required Ra to maintain the dynamo. For this purpose, we performed simulations with various Ra and fixed the other control parameters such as the Ekman, Prandtl, and magnetic Prandtl numbers. For the initial condition and boundary conditions, we followed the dynamo benchmark case 1 by Christensen et al. (2001). The results show that the critical Ra increases with the smaller aspect ratio ri/ro. It is confirmed that larger amplitude of buoyancy is required in the smaller inner core to maintain dynamo.

  11. Gravitational dynamos and the low-frequency geomagnetic secular variation.

    PubMed

    Olson, P

    2007-12-18

    Self-sustaining numerical dynamos are used to infer the sources of low-frequency secular variation of the geomagnetic field. Gravitational dynamo models powered by compositional convection in an electrically conducting, rotating fluid shell exhibit several regimes of magnetic field behavior with an increasing Rayleigh number of the convection, including nearly steady dipoles, chaotic nonreversing dipoles, and chaotic reversing dipoles. The time average dipole strength and dipolarity of the magnetic field decrease, whereas the dipole variability, average dipole tilt angle, and frequency of polarity reversals increase with Rayleigh number. Chaotic gravitational dynamos have large-amplitude dipole secular variation with maximum power at frequencies corresponding to a few cycles per million years on Earth. Their external magnetic field structure, dipole statistics, low-frequency power spectra, and polarity reversal frequency are comparable to the geomagnetic field. The magnetic variability is driven by the Lorentz force and is characterized by an inverse correlation between dynamo magnetic and kinetic energy fluctuations. A constant energy dissipation theory accounts for this inverse energy correlation, which is shown to produce conditions favorable for dipole drift, polarity reversals, and excursions.

  12. Gravitational dynamos and the low-frequency geomagnetic secular variation

    PubMed Central

    Olson, P.

    2007-01-01

    Self-sustaining numerical dynamos are used to infer the sources of low-frequency secular variation of the geomagnetic field. Gravitational dynamo models powered by compositional convection in an electrically conducting, rotating fluid shell exhibit several regimes of magnetic field behavior with an increasing Rayleigh number of the convection, including nearly steady dipoles, chaotic nonreversing dipoles, and chaotic reversing dipoles. The time average dipole strength and dipolarity of the magnetic field decrease, whereas the dipole variability, average dipole tilt angle, and frequency of polarity reversals increase with Rayleigh number. Chaotic gravitational dynamos have large-amplitude dipole secular variation with maximum power at frequencies corresponding to a few cycles per million years on Earth. Their external magnetic field structure, dipole statistics, low-frequency power spectra, and polarity reversal frequency are comparable to the geomagnetic field. The magnetic variability is driven by the Lorentz force and is characterized by an inverse correlation between dynamo magnetic and kinetic energy fluctuations. A constant energy dissipation theory accounts for this inverse energy correlation, which is shown to produce conditions favorable for dipole drift, polarity reversals, and excursions. PMID:18048345

  13. Large-scale dynamos in rapidly rotating plane layer convection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bushby, P. J.; Käpylä, P. J.; Masada, Y.; Brandenburg, A.; Favier, B.; Guervilly, C.; Käpylä, M. J.

    2018-05-01

    Context. Convectively driven flows play a crucial role in the dynamo processes that are responsible for producing magnetic activity in stars and planets. It is still not fully understood why many astrophysical magnetic fields have a significant large-scale component. Aims: Our aim is to investigate the dynamo properties of compressible convection in a rapidly rotating Cartesian domain, focusing upon a parameter regime in which the underlying hydrodynamic flow is known to be unstable to a large-scale vortex instability. Methods: The governing equations of three-dimensional non-linear magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) are solved numerically. Different numerical schemes are compared and we propose a possible benchmark case for other similar codes. Results: In keeping with previous related studies, we find that convection in this parameter regime can drive a large-scale dynamo. The components of the mean horizontal magnetic field oscillate, leading to a continuous overall rotation of the mean field. Whilst the large-scale vortex instability dominates the early evolution of the system, the large-scale vortex is suppressed by the magnetic field and makes a negligible contribution to the mean electromotive force that is responsible for driving the large-scale dynamo. The cycle period of the dynamo is comparable to the ohmic decay time, with longer cycles for dynamos in convective systems that are closer to onset. In these particular simulations, large-scale dynamo action is found only when vertical magnetic field boundary conditions are adopted at the upper and lower boundaries. Strongly modulated large-scale dynamos are found at higher Rayleigh numbers, with periods of reduced activity (grand minima-like events) occurring during transient phases in which the large-scale vortex temporarily re-establishes itself, before being suppressed again by the magnetic field.

  14. Bipolar Jets Launched by a Mean-field Accretion Disk Dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fendt, Christian; Gaßmann, Dennis

    2018-03-01

    By applying magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we investigate the launching of jets driven by a disk magnetic field generated by a mean-field disk dynamo. Extending our earlier studies, we explore the bipolar evolution of the disk α 2Ω-dynamo and the outflow. We confirm that a negative dynamo-α leads to a dipolar field geometry, whereas positive values generate quadrupolar fields. The latter remain mainly confined to the disk and cannot launch outflows. We investigate a parameter range for the dynamo-α ranging from a critical value below which field generation is negligible, {α }0,{crit}=-0.0005, to α 0 = ‑1.0. For weak | {α }0| ≤slant 0.07, two magnetic loop structures with opposite polarity may arise, which leads to reconnection and disturbs the field evolution and accretion-ejection process. For a strong dynamo-α, a higher poloidal magnetic energy is reached, roughly scaling with {E}mag}∼ | {α }0| , which also leads to higher accretion and ejection rates. The terminal jet speed is governed by the available magnetic energy and increases with the dynamo-α. We find jet velocities on the order of the inner disk Keplerian velocity. For a strong dynamo-α, oscillating dynamo modes may occur that can lead to a pulsed ejection. This is triggered by an oscillating mode in the toroidal field component. The oscillation period is comparable to the Keplerian timescale in the launching region, thus too short to be associated with the knots in observed jets. We find a hemispherically asymmetric evolution for the jet and counter-jet in the mass flux and field structure.

  15. Fluctuation dynamo based on magnetic reconnections

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baggaley, A. W.; Shukurov, A.; Barenghi, C. F.; Subramanian, K.

    2010-01-01

    We develop a new model of the fluctuation dynamo in which the magnetic field is confined to thin flux ropes advected by a multi-scale flow which models turbulence. Magnetic dissipation occurs only via reconnections of flux ropes. The model is particularly suitable for rarefied plasma, such as the solar corona or galactic halos. We investigate the kinetic energy release into heat, mediated by dynamo action, both in our model and by solving the induction equation with the same flow. We find that the flux rope dynamo is more than an order of magnitude more efficient at converting mechanical energy into heat. The probability density of the magnetic energy released during reconnections has a power-law form with the slope -3, consistent with the solar corona heating by nanoflares. We also present a nonlinear extension of the model. This shows that a plausible saturation mechanism of the fluctuation dynamo is the suppression of turbulent magnetic diffusivity, due to suppression of random stretching at the location of the flux ropes. We confirm that the probability distribution function of the magnetic line curvature has a power-law form suggested by \\citet{Sheck:2002b}. We argue, however, using our results that this does not imply a persistent folded structure of magnetic field, at least in the nonlinear stage.

  16. IS THE SMALL-SCALE MAGNETIC FIELD CORRELATED WITH THE DYNAMO CYCLE?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Karak, Bidya Binay; Brandenburg, Axel, E-mail: bbkarak@nordita.org

    2016-01-01

    The small-scale magnetic field is ubiquitous at the solar surface—even at high latitudes. From observations we know that this field is uncorrelated (or perhaps even weakly anticorrelated) with the global sunspot cycle. Our aim is to explore the origin, and particularly the cycle dependence, of such a phenomenon using three-dimensional dynamo simulations. We adopt a simple model of a turbulent dynamo in a shearing box driven by helically forced turbulence. Depending on the dynamo parameters, large-scale (global) and small-scale (local) dynamos can be excited independently in this model. Based on simulations in different parameter regimes, we find that, when onlymore » the large-scale dynamo is operating in the system, the small-scale magnetic field generated through shredding and tangling of the large-scale magnetic field is positively correlated with the global magnetic cycle. However, when both dynamos are operating, the small-scale field is produced from both the small-scale dynamo and the tangling of the large-scale field. In this situation, when the large-scale field is weaker than the equipartition value of the turbulence, the small-scale field is almost uncorrelated with the large-scale magnetic cycle. On the other hand, when the large-scale field is stronger than the equipartition value, we observe an anticorrelation between the small-scale field and the large-scale magnetic cycle. This anticorrelation can be interpreted as a suppression of the small-scale dynamo. Based on our studies we conclude that the observed small-scale magnetic field in the Sun is generated by the combined mechanisms of a small-scale dynamo and tangling of the large-scale field.« less

  17. The Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bastian, N.; O'Connell, R.; Kendrick, R.; Goldwin, J.; Forest, C. B.

    1998-11-01

    A liquid metal magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) experiment at the University of Wisconsin is being constructed in order to validate 3 key elements of MHD dynamo theory: magnetic instabilities driven by flow shear, the effects of turbulence on current generation (primarily the α and β effects) and the nature of saturation for these on these processes. The experiment consists of two main stages, the first of which uses water to test impeller designs that are used to generate flows capable of supporting a dynamo. Since water has nearly the same viscosity and mass density as sodium, it is the ideal substance with which to test our impeller designs. The second stage of the experiment uses a one meter diameter sphere filled with ≈ 200 gallons of liquid sodium to directly test MHD theory. Impellers will be used to impose flows on the liquid sodium that are predicted by MHD theory to lead to a growing magnetic field. In addition, large scale flows will lead to small-scale turbulence which can produce a dynamo effect and a current. This is known as the turbulent α-effect which we will attempt to observe. The MHD theory also predicts an anomalously high resistivity or magnetic diffusivity (the β-effect). Once a growing magnetic field is present it should be possible to measure the effect that the growing magnetic field has on the flow that created it.

  18. Reducing and measuring fluctuations in the MST RFP: Enhancement of energy confinement and measurement of the MHD dynamo

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Den Hartog, D.J.; Almagri, A.F.; Cekic, M.

    1996-09-01

    A three- to five-fold enhancement of the energy confinement time in a reversed-field pinch (RFP) has been achieved in the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) by reducing the amplitude of tearing mode fluctuations responsible for anomalous transport in the core of the RFP. By applying a transient poloidal inductive electric field to flatten the current density profile, the fluctuation amplitude {tilde b}/B decreases from 1.5% to 0.8%, the electron temperature T{sub e0} increases from 250 eV to 370 eV, the ohmic input power decreases from 4.5 MW to approximately 1.5 MW, the poloidal beta {beta}{sub 0} increases from 6% to 9%,more » and the energy confinement time {tau}{sub E} increases from 1 ms to {approximately}5 ms in I{sub {phi}} = 340 kA plasmas with density {tilde n} = 1 {times} 10{sup 19} m{sup -3}. Current profile control methods are being developed for the RFP in a program to eliminate transport associated with these current-gradient-driven fluctuations. In addition to controlling the amplitude of the tearing modes, we are vigorously pursuing an understanding of the physics of these fluctuations. In particular, plasma flow, both equilibrium and fluctuating, plays a critical role in a diversity of physical phenomena in MST. The key results: 1) Edge probe measurements show that the MHD dynamo is active in low collisionality plasmas, while at high collisionality a new mechanism, the `electron diamagnetic dynamo,` is observed. 2) Core spectroscopic measurements show that the toroidal velocity fluctuations of the plasma are coherent with the large-scale magnetic tearing modes; the scalar product of these two fluctuating quantities is similar to that expected for the MHD dynamo electromotive force. 3) Toroidal plasma flow in MST exhibits large radial shear and can be actively controlled, including unlocking locked discharges, by modifying E{sub r} with a robust biased probe. 24 refs.« less

  19. Comments on the photospheric dynamo model of Henoux and Somov

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Melrose, D. B.; Khan, J. I.

    1989-01-01

    A detailed model for a photospheric dynamo has been presented by Henoux and Somov (1987), who used the three-fluid model to treat the properties of the weakly ionized plasma. Only the equations for the two ionized components were solved. The equation for the neutral component is considered, and it is argued that the model is unacceptable becaused of an implied impossibly large unbalanced stress on the neutral gas. It is argued more generally that all existing photospheric dynamo models are untenable.

  20. Magnetorotational dynamo chimeras. The missing link to turbulent accretion disk dynamo models?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riols, A.; Rincon, F.; Cossu, C.; Lesur, G.; Ogilvie, G. I.; Longaretti, P.-Y.

    2017-02-01

    In Keplerian accretion disks, turbulence and magnetic fields may be jointly excited through a subcritical dynamo mechanisminvolving magnetorotational instability (MRI). This dynamo may notably contribute to explaining the time-variability of various accreting systems, as high-resolution simulations of MRI dynamo turbulence exhibit statistical self-organization into large-scale cyclic dynamics. However, understanding the physics underlying these statistical states and assessing their exact astrophysical relevance is theoretically challenging. The study of simple periodic nonlinear MRI dynamo solutions has recently proven useful in this respect, and has highlighted the role of turbulent magnetic diffusion in the seeming impossibility of a dynamo at low magnetic Prandtl number (Pm), a common regime in disks. Arguably though, these simple laminar structures may not be fully representative of the complex, statistically self-organized states expected in astrophysical regimes. Here, we aim at closing this seeming discrepancy by reporting the numerical discovery of exactly periodic, yet semi-statistical "chimeral MRI dynamo states" which are the organized outcome of a succession of MRI-unstable, non-axisymmetric dynamical stages of different forms and amplitudes. Interestingly, these states, while reminiscent of the statistical complexity of turbulent simulations, involve the same physical principles as simpler laminar cycles, and their analysis further confirms the theory that subcritical turbulent magnetic diffusion impedes the sustainment of an MRI dynamo at low Pm. Overall, chimera dynamo cycles therefore offer an unprecedented dual physical and statistical perspective on dynamos in rotating shear flows, which may prove useful in devising more accurate, yet intuitive mean-field models of time-dependent turbulent disk dynamos. Movies associated to Fig. 1 are available at http://www.aanda.org

  1. Nonlinear dynamo in the intracluster medium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beresnyak, Andrey; Miniati, Francesco

    2018-05-01

    Hot plasma in galaxy clusters, the intracluster medium is observed to be magnetized with magnetic fields of around a μG and the correlation scales of tens of kiloparsecs, the largest scales of the magnetic field so far observed in the Universe. Can this magnetic field be used as a test of the primordial magnetic field in the early Universe? In this paper, we argue that if the cluster field was created by the nonlinear dynamo, the process would be insensitive to the value of the initial field. Our model combines state of the art hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy cluster formation in a fully cosmological context with nonlinear dynamo theory. Initial field is not a parameter in this model, yet it predicts magnetic scale and strength compatible with observations.

  2. Modelling the dynamo in fully convective M-stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yadav, Rakesh Kumar; Christensen, Ulrich; Morin, Julien; Wolk, Scott; Poppenhaeger, Katja; Reiners, Ansgar; gastine, Thomas

    2017-05-01

    M-stars are among the most active and numerous stars in our galaxy. Their activity plays a fundamentally important role in shaping the exoplanetary biosphere since the habitable zones are very close to these stars. Therefore, modeling M-star activity has become a focal point in habitability studies. The fully convective members of the M-star population demand more immediate attention due to the discovery of Earth-like exoplanets around our stellar neighbors Proxima Centauri and TRAPPIST-1 which are both fully convective. The activity of these stars is driven by their convective dynamo, which may be fundamentally different from the solar dynamo due the absence of radiative cores. We model this dynamo mechanism using high-resolution 3D anelastic MHD simulations. To understand the evolution of the dynamo mechanism we simulate two cases, one with a fast enough rotation period to model a star in the `saturated' regime of the rotation-activity realtionship and the other with a slower period to represent cases in the `unsaturated' regime. We find the rotation period fundamentally controls the behavior of the dynamo solution: faster rotation promotes strong magnetic fields (of order kG) on both small and large length scales and the dipolar component of the magnetic field is dominant and stable, however, slower rotation leads to weaker magnetic fields which exhibit cyclic behavior. In this talk, I will present the simulation results and discuss how we can use them to interpret several observed features of the M-star activity.

  3. CONSISTENT SCALING LAWS IN ANELASTIC SPHERICAL SHELL DYNAMOS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yadav, Rakesh K.; Gastine, Thomas; Christensen, Ulrich R.

    2013-09-01

    Numerical dynamo models always employ parameter values that differ by orders of magnitude from the values expected in natural objects. However, such models have been successful in qualitatively reproducing properties of planetary and stellar dynamos. This qualitative agreement fuels the idea that both numerical models and astrophysical objects may operate in the same asymptotic regime of dynamics. This can be tested by exploring the scaling behavior of the models. For convection-driven incompressible spherical shell dynamos with constant material properties, scaling laws had been established previously that relate flow velocity and magnetic field strength to the available power. Here we analyzemore » 273 direct numerical simulations using the anelastic approximation, involving also cases with radius-dependent magnetic, thermal, and viscous diffusivities. These better represent conditions in gas giant planets and low-mass stars compared to Boussinesq models. Our study provides strong support for the hypothesis that both mean velocity and mean magnetic field strength scale as a function of the power generated by buoyancy forces in the same way for a wide range of conditions.« less

  4. Mercury's magnetic field - A thermoelectric dynamo?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stevenson, D. J.

    1987-01-01

    Permanent magnetism and conventional dynamo theory are possible but problematic explanations for the magnitude of the Mercurian magnetic field. A new model is proposed in which thermoelectric currents driven by temperature differences at a bumpy core-mantle boundary are responsible for the (unobserved) toroidal field, and the helicity of convective motions in a thin outer core (thickness of about 100 km) induces the observed poloidal field from the toroidal field. The observed field of about 3 x 10 to the -7th T can be reproduced provided the electrical conductivity of Mercury's semiconducting mantle approaches 1000/ohm per m. This model may be testable by future missions to Mercury because it predicts a more complicated field geometry than conventional dynamo theories. However, it is argued that polar wander may cause the core-mantle topography to migrate so that some aspects of the rotational symmetry may be reflected in the observed field.

  5. Systematic parameter study of dynamo bifurcations in geodynamo simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petitdemange, Ludovic

    2018-04-01

    We investigate the nature of the dynamo bifurcation in a configuration applicable to the Earth's liquid outer core, i.e. in a rotating spherical shell with thermally driven motions with no-slip boundaries. Unlike in previous studies on dynamo bifurcations, the control parameters have been varied significantly in order to deduce general tendencies. Numerical studies on the stability domain of dipolar magnetic fields found a dichotomy between non-reversing dipole-dominated dynamos and the reversing non-dipole-dominated multipolar solutions. We show that, by considering weak initial fields, the above transition disappears and is replaced by a region of bistability for which dipolar and multipolar dynamos coexist. Such a result was also observed in models with free-slip boundaries in which the geostrophic zonal flow can develop and participate to the dynamo mechanism for non-dipolar fields. We show that a similar process develops in no-slip models when viscous effects are reduced sufficiently. The following three regimes are distinguished: (i) Close to the onset of convection (Rac) with only the most critical convective mode (wave number) being present, dynamos set in supercritically in the Ekman number regime explored here and are dipole-dominated. Larger critical magnetic Reynolds numbers indicate that they are particularly inefficient. (ii) in the range 3 < Ra /Rac dynamos exist. (iii) in the turbulent regime (Ra /Rac > 10) , the relative importance of zonal flows increases with Ra in non-magnetic models. The field topology depends on the magnitude of the initial magnetic field. The dipolar branch has a subcritical behavior whereas the multipolar branch has a supercritical behavior. By approaching more realistic parameters, the extension of this bistable regime increases. A hysteretic behavior questions the common interpretation for geomagnetic reversals. Far above the dynamo threshold (by increasing

  6. Final Technical Report for DOE DE-FG02-05ER54831 "Laboratory Studies of Dynamos."

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Forest, Cary B.

    Laboratory Studies of Dynamos: Executive Summary. The self-generation of magnetic fields by astrophysical bodies like planets, stars, accretion disks, galaxies, and even galaxy clusters arises due to a mechanism referred to as a homogeneous dynamo. It is quite simple to demonstrate the generation of a magnetic fi eld from a rotating copper disk coupled with a coil of wire, a device known as the homopolar dynamo. The device works like a magnetic fi eld ampli er with a feedback circuit: the differential rotation of a metal disk past an infinitesimally small seed magnetic field induces currents in the disk which,more » when coupled to a coil winding, can amplify the field until it becomes strong enough to slow the rotation of the disk. What is remarkable is that the same type of circuit may be achieved in a flowing conducting fluid such as a liquid metal in the case of planetary dynamos or a plasma in the case of astrophysical dynamos. The complexity of describing planetary and stellar dynamos despite their ubiquity and the plethora of observational data from the Earth and the Sun motivates the demonstration of a laboratory homogenous dynamo. To create a homogenous dynamo, one first needs a su fficiently large, fast flow of a highly conducting fluid that the velocity shear in the fluid can bend magnetic field lines. With a high Rm-flow, the magnetic fi eld can be ampli ed by the stretching action provided by di fferential rotation. The other critical ingredient is a flow geometry that provides feedback so that the ampli ed eld reinforces the initial in nitesimal seed field - a mechanism that recreates the feedback provided by the coil of wire in the homopolar dynamo. In the Madison Dynamo Experiment, this combination of magnetic ampli cation and feedback is feasible in the simple geometry of two counter-rotating helical vortices in a 1 meter-diameter spherical vessel lled with liquid sodium. For an optimal helical pitch of the flow the threshold for exciting a

  7. A basal magma ocean dynamo to explain the early lunar magnetic field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scheinberg, Aaron L.; Soderlund, Krista M.; Elkins-Tanton, Linda T.

    2018-06-01

    The source of the ancient lunar magnetic field is an unsolved problem in the Moon's evolution. Theoretical work invoking a core dynamo has been unable to explain the magnitude of the observed field, falling instead one to two orders of magnitude below it. Since surface magnetic field strength is highly sensitive to the depth and size of the dynamo region, we instead hypothesize that the early lunar dynamo was driven by convection in a basal magma ocean formed from the final stages of an early lunar magma ocean; this material is expected to be dense, radioactive, and metalliferous. Here we use numerical convection models to predict the longevity and heat flow of such a basal magma ocean and use scaling laws to estimate the resulting magnetic field strength. We show that, if sufficiently electrically conducting, a magma ocean could have produced an early dynamo with surface fields consistent with the paleomagnetic observations.

  8. On self-exciting coupled Faraday disk homopolar dynamos driving series motors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moroz, Irene M.; Hide, Raymond; Soward, Andrew M.

    1998-06-01

    We present the results of a preliminary analytical and numerical study of one of the simpler members of a hierarchy of N (where N ≥ 1) coupled self-exciting Faraday disk homopolar dynamos, incorporating motors as additional electrical elements driven by the dynamo-generated current, as proposed by Hide (1997). The hierarchy is a generalisation of a single disk dynamo ( N = 1) with just one electric motor in the system, and crucially, incorporating effects due to mechanical friction in both the disk and the motor, as investigated by Hide et al. (1996). This is describable by a set of three coupled autonomous nonlinear ordinary differential equations, which, due to the presence of the motor, has solutions corresponding to co-existing periodic states of increasing complexity, as well as to chaotic dynamics. We consider the case of two such homopolar dynamos ( N = 2) with generally dissimilar characteristics but coupled together magnetically, with the aim of determining the extent to which this coupled system differs in its behaviour from the single disk dynamo with a series motor (Hide et al. 1996). In the case when the units are identical, the behaviour of the double dynamo system (after initial transients have decayed away) is identical to that of the single dynamo system, with solutions (including “synchronised chaos”) locked in both amplitude and phase. When there is no motor in the system and the coefficient of mechanical friction in the disks is small, these transients resemble the well-known ‘non-synchronous’, but structurally unstable Rikitake solution.

  9. A GLOBAL GALACTIC DYNAMO WITH A CORONA CONSTRAINED BY RELATIVE HELICITY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Prasad, A.; Mangalam, A., E-mail: avijeet@iiap.res.in, E-mail: mangalam@iiap.res.in

    We present a model for a global axisymmetric turbulent dynamo operating in a galaxy with a corona that treats the parameters of turbulence driven by supernovae and by magneto-rotational instability under a common formalism. The nonlinear quenching of the dynamo is alleviated by the inclusion of small-scale advective and diffusive magnetic helicity fluxes, which allow the gauge-invariant magnetic helicity to be transferred outside the disk and consequently to build up a corona during the course of dynamo action. The time-dependent dynamo equations are expressed in a separable form and solved through an eigenvector expansion constructed using the steady-state solutions ofmore » the dynamo equation. The parametric evolution of the dynamo solution allows us to estimate the final structure of the global magnetic field and the saturated value of the turbulence parameter α{sub m}, even before solving the dynamical equations for evolution of magnetic fields in the disk and the corona, along with α-quenching. We then solve these equations simultaneously to study the saturation of the large-scale magnetic field, its dependence on the small-scale magnetic helicity fluxes, and the corresponding evolution of the force-free field in the corona. The quadrupolar large-scale magnetic field in the disk is found to reach equipartition strength within a timescale of 1 Gyr. The large-scale magnetic field in the corona obtained is much weaker than the field inside the disk and has only a weak impact on the dynamo operation.« less

  10. The lunar dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weiss, Benjamin P.; Tikoo, Sonia M.

    2014-12-01

    The inductive generation of magnetic fields in fluid planetary interiors is known as the dynamo process. Although the Moon today has no global magnetic field, it has been known since the Apollo era that the lunar rocks and crust are magnetized. Until recently, it was unclear whether this magnetization was the product of a core dynamo or fields generated externally to the Moon. New laboratory and spacecraft measurements strongly indicate that much of this magnetization is the product of an ancient core dynamo. The dynamo field persisted from at least 4.25 to 3.56 billion years ago (Ga), with an intensity reaching that of the present Earth. The field then declined by at least an order of magnitude by ∼3.3 Ga. The mechanisms for sustaining such an intense and long-lived dynamo are uncertain but may include mechanical stirring by the mantle and core crystallization.

  11. The dynamics of magnetic Rossby waves in spherical dynamo simulations: A signature of strong-field dynamos?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hori, K.; Teed, R. J.; Jones, C. A.

    2018-03-01

    We investigate slow magnetic Rossby waves in convection-driven dynamos in rotating spherical shells. Quasi-geostrophic waves riding on a mean zonal flow may account for some of the geomagnetic westward drifts and have the potential to allow the toroidal field strength within the planetary fluid core to be estimated. We extend the work of Hori et al. (2015) to include a wider range of models, and perform a detailed analysis of the results. We find that a predicted dispersion relation matches well with the longitudinal drifts observed in our strong-field dynamos. We discuss the validity of our linear theory, since we also find that the nonlinear Lorentz terms influence the observed waveforms. These wave motions are excited by convective instability, which determines the preferred azimuthal wavenumbers. Studies of linear rotating magnetoconvection have suggested that slow magnetic Rossby modes emerge in the magnetostrophic regime, in which the Lorentz and Coriolis forces are in balance in the vorticity equation. We confirm this to be predominant balance for the slow waves we have detected in nonlinear dynamo systems. We also show that a completely different wave regime emerges if the magnetic field is not present. Finally we report the corresponding radial magnetic field variations observed at the surface of the shell in our simulations and discuss the detectability of these waves in the geomagnetic secular variation.

  12. Generation of Large-Scale Magnetic Fields by Small-Scale Dynamo in Shear Flows.

    PubMed

    Squire, J; Bhattacharjee, A

    2015-10-23

    We propose a new mechanism for a turbulent mean-field dynamo in which the magnetic fluctuations resulting from a small-scale dynamo drive the generation of large-scale magnetic fields. This is in stark contrast to the common idea that small-scale magnetic fields should be harmful to large-scale dynamo action. These dynamos occur in the presence of a large-scale velocity shear and do not require net helicity, resulting from off-diagonal components of the turbulent resistivity tensor as the magnetic analogue of the "shear-current" effect. Given the inevitable existence of nonhelical small-scale magnetic fields in turbulent plasmas, as well as the generic nature of velocity shear, the suggested mechanism may help explain the generation of large-scale magnetic fields across a wide range of astrophysical objects.

  13. The lunar dynamo.

    PubMed

    Weiss, Benjamin P; Tikoo, Sonia M

    2014-12-05

    The inductive generation of magnetic fields in fluid planetary interiors is known as the dynamo process. Although the Moon today has no global magnetic field, it has been known since the Apollo era that the lunar rocks and crust are magnetized. Until recently, it was unclear whether this magnetization was the product of a core dynamo or fields generated externally to the Moon. New laboratory and spacecraft measurements strongly indicate that much of this magnetization is the product of an ancient core dynamo. The dynamo field persisted from at least 4.25 to 3.56 billion years ago (Ga), with an intensity reaching that of the present Earth. The field then declined by at least an order of magnitude by ∼3.3 Ga. The mechanisms for sustaining such an intense and long-lived dynamo are uncertain but may include mechanical stirring by the mantle and core crystallization. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  14. Relativistic Dynamos in Magnetospheres of Rotating Compact Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tomimatsu, Akira

    2000-01-01

    The kinematic evolution of axisymmetric magnetic fields in rotating magnetospheres of relativistic compact objects is analytically studied, based on relativistic Ohm's law in stationary axisymmetric geometry. By neglecting the poloidal flows of plasma in simplified magnetospheric models, we discuss a self-excited dynamo due to the frame-dragging effect (originally pointed out by Khanna & Camenzind) and propose alternative processes to generate axisymmetric magnetic fields against ohmic dissipation. The first process (which may be called ``induced excitation'') is caused by the help of a background uniform magnetic field in addition to the dragging of inertial frames. It is shown that excited multipolar components of poloidal and azimuthal fields are sustained as stationary modes, and outgoing Poynting flux converges toward the rotation axis. The second process is a self-excited dynamo through azimuthal convection current, which is found to be effective if plasma rotation becomes highly relativistic with a sharp gradient in the angular velocity. In this case, no frame-dragging effect is needed, and the coupling between charge separation and plasma rotation becomes important. We discuss briefly the results in relation to active phenomena in the relativistic magnetospheres.

  15. Tidal Excitation of the Core Dynamo of Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seyed-Mahmoud, B.; Arkani-Hamed, J.; Aldridge, K.

    2007-05-01

    The lack of magnetic anomalies inside the giant impact basins Hellas, Isidis, Utopia and Argyre, inside the northern low lands, over the Tharsis bulge, and over the Tharsis and Olympus mounts suggests that the core field of Mars ceased to exist by about 4 Gyr ago, almost when the giant basins were formed. On the other hand, the giant basins are located on a great circle, implying that the basins were likely produced by fragments of a large asteroid that broke apart as it entered the Roche limit of Mars. This scenario offers a causative relationship for the apparent coincidence of the formation of the giant basins and the cessation of the core dynamo. We suggest that the core dynamo was excited by tidally driven elliptical instability in the Martian core. The breaking of the asteroid and its final impact on Mars eliminated the excitation and thus killed the dynamo. We show that a retrograde asteroid captured in a Keplerian orbit around Mars at a distance of about 50,000-100,000 km could orbit Mars for several hundreds of millions of years before impacting the planet due to the tidal coupling of the asteroid and Mars. Because of relatively very short growth time of the elliptical instability, less than 50,000 years, the asteroid was capable of retaining the elliptical instability and energizing the core dynamo for a geologically long period prior to 4 Ga. Our laboratory observations of a parametric instability of a rotating incompressible fluid, contained in a flexible-walled spherical cavity, confirm the possibility that an early Martian dynamo could have been powered by tidal straining.

  16. Generation of large-scale magnetic fields by small-scale dynamo in shear flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Squire, Jonathan; Bhattacharjee, Amitava

    2015-11-01

    A new mechanism for turbulent mean-field dynamo is proposed, in which the magnetic fluctuations resulting from a small-scale dynamo drive the generation of large-scale magnetic fields. This is in stark contrast to the common idea that small-scale magnetic fields should be harmful to large-scale dynamo action. These dynamos occur in the presence of large-scale velocity shear and do not require net helicity, resulting from off-diagonal components of the turbulent resistivity tensor as the magnetic analogue of the ``shear-current'' effect. The dynamo is studied using a variety of computational and analytic techniques, both when the magnetic fluctuations arise self-consistently through the small-scale dynamo and in lower Reynolds number regimes. Given the inevitable existence of non-helical small-scale magnetic fields in turbulent plasmas, as well as the generic nature of velocity shear, the suggested mechanism may help to explain generation of large-scale magnetic fields across a wide range of astrophysical objects. This work was supported by a Procter Fellowship at Princeton University, and the US Department of Energy Grant DE-AC02-09-CH11466.

  17. Self-consistent simulations of a von Kármán type dynamo in a spherical domain with metallic walls.

    PubMed

    Guervilly, Céline; Brummell, Nicholas H

    2012-10-01

    We have performed numerical simulations of boundary-driven dynamos using a three-dimensional nonlinear magnetohydrodynamical model in a spherical shell geometry. A conducting fluid of magnetic Prandtl number Pm=0.01 is driven into motion by the counter-rotation of the two hemispheric walls. The resulting flow is of von Kármán type, consisting of a layer of zonal velocity close to the outer wall and a secondary meridional circulation. Above a certain forcing threshold, the mean flow is unstable to non-axisymmetric motions within an equatorial belt. For fixed forcing above this threshold, we have studied the dynamo properties of this flow. The presence of a conducting outer wall is essential to the existence of a dynamo at these parameters. We have therefore studied the effect of changing the material parameters of the wall (magnetic permeability, electrical conductivity, and thickness) on the dynamo. In common with previous studies, we find that dynamos are obtained only when either the conductivity or the permeability is sufficiently large. However, we find that the effect of these two parameters on the dynamo process are different and can even compete to the detriment of the dynamo. Our self-consistent approach allow us to analyze in detail the dynamo feedback loop. The dynamos we obtain are typically dominated by an axisymmetric toroidal magnetic field and an axial dipole component. We show that the ability of the outer shear layer to produce a strong toroidal field depends critically on the presence of a conducting outer wall, which shields the fluid from the vacuum outside. The generation of the axisymmetric poloidal field, on the other hand, occurs in the equatorial belt and does not depend on the wall properties.

  18. Generation of large-scale magnetic fields by small-scale dynamo in shear flows

    DOE PAGES

    Squire, J.; Bhattacharjee, A.

    2015-10-20

    We propose a new mechanism for a turbulent mean-field dynamo in which the magnetic fluctuations resulting from a small-scale dynamo drive the generation of large-scale magnetic fields. This is in stark contrast to the common idea that small-scale magnetic fields should be harmful to large-scale dynamo action. These dynamos occur in the presence of a large-scale velocity shear and do not require net helicity, resulting from off-diagonal components of the turbulent resistivity tensor as the magnetic analogue of the "shear-current" effect. Furthermore, given the inevitable existence of nonhelical small-scale magnetic fields in turbulent plasmas, as well as the generic naturemore » of velocity shear, the suggested mechanism may help explain the generation of large-scale magnetic fields across a wide range of astrophysical objects.« less

  19. Limited role of spectra in dynamo theory: coherent versus random dynamos.

    PubMed

    Tobias, Steven M; Cattaneo, Fausto

    2008-09-19

    We discuss the importance of phase information and coherence times in determining the dynamo properties of turbulent flows. We compare the kinematic dynamo properties of three flows with the same energy spectrum. The first flow is dominated by coherent structures with nontrivial phase information and long eddy coherence times, the second has random phases and long-coherence time, the third has nontrivial phase information, but short coherence time. We demonstrate that the first flow is the most efficient kinematic dynamo, owing to the presence of sustained stretching and constructive folding. We argue that these results place limitations on the possible inferences of the dynamo properties of flows from the use of spectra alone, and that the role of coherent structures must always be accounted for.

  20. Thermonuclear dynamo inside ultracentrifuge with supersonic plasma flow stabilization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winterberg, F.

    2016-01-01

    Einstein's general theory of relativity implies the existence of virtual negative masses in the rotational reference frame of an ultracentrifuge with the negative mass density of the same order of magnitude as the positive mass density of a neutron star. In an ultracentrifuge, the repulsive gravitational field of this negative mass can simulate the attractive positive mass of a mini-neutron star, and for this reason can radially confine a dense thermonuclear plasma placed inside the centrifuge, very much as the positive mass of a star confines its plasma by its own attractive gravitational field. If the centrifuge is placed in an externally magnetic field to act as the seed field of a magnetohydrodynamic generator, the configuration resembles a magnetar driven by the release of energy through nuclear fusion, accelerating the plasma to supersonic velocities, with the magnetic field produced by the thermomagnetic Nernst effect insulating the hot plasma from the cold wall of the centrifuge. Because of the supersonic flow and the high plasma density the configuration is stable.

  1. Thermonuclear dynamo inside ultracentrifuge with supersonic plasma flow stabilization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Winterberg, F.

    Einstein's general theory of relativity implies the existence of virtual negative masses in the rotational reference frame of an ultracentrifuge with the negative mass density of the same order of magnitude as the positive mass density of a neutron star. In an ultracentrifuge, the repulsive gravitational field of this negative mass can simulate the attractive positive mass of a mini-neutron star, and for this reason can radially confine a dense thermonuclear plasma placed inside the centrifuge, very much as the positive mass of a star confines its plasma by its own attractive gravitational field. If the centrifuge is placed inmore » an externally magnetic field to act as the seed field of a magnetohydrodynamic generator, the configuration resembles a magnetar driven by the release of energy through nuclear fusion, accelerating the plasma to supersonic velocities, with the magnetic field produced by the thermomagnetic Nernst effect insulating the hot plasma from the cold wall of the centrifuge. Because of the supersonic flow and the high plasma density the configuration is stable.« less

  2. Kinematic Dynamo In Turbulent Circumstellar Disks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, T.

    1993-01-01

    Many circumstellar disks associated with objects ranging from protoplanetary nebulae, to accretion disks around compact stars allow for the generation of magnetic fields by an (alpha)omega dynamo. We have applied kinematic dynamo formalism to geometrically thin accretion disks. We calculate, in the framework of an adiabatic approximation, the normal mode solutions for dynamos operating in disks around compact stars. We then describe the criteria for a viable dynamo in protoplanetary nebulae, and discuss the particular features that make accretion disk dynamos different from planetary, stellar, and galactic dynamos.

  3. Dynamical Regimes and the Dynamo Bifurcation in Geodynamo Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petitdemange, L.

    2017-12-01

    We investigate the nature of the dynamo bifurcation in a configuration applicable to the Earth's liquid outer core : in a rotating spherical shell with thermally driven motions with no-slip boundaries. Unlike previous studies on dynamo bifurcations, the control parameters have been varied significantly in order to deduce general tendencies. Numerical studies on the stability domain of dipolar magnetic fields found a dichotomy between non-reversing dipole-dominated dynamos and the reversing non-dipole-dominated multipolar solutions. We show that, by considering weak initial fields, the above transition is replaced by a region of bistability for which dipolar and multipolar dynamos coexist. Such a result was also observed in models with free-slip boundaries in which the strong shear of geostrophic zonal flows can develop and gives rise to non-dipolar fields. We show that a similar process develops in no-slip models when viscous effects are reduced sufficiently.Close to the onset of convection (Rac), the axial dipole grows exponentially in the kinematic phase and saturation occurs by marginally changing the flow structure close to the dynamo threshold Rmc. The resulting bifurcation is then supercritical.In the range 3RacIf (Ra/Ra_c>10), important zonal flows develop in non-magnetic models with low viscosity. The field topology depends on the initial magnetic field. The dipolar branch has a subcritical behaviour whereas the multipolar branch is supercritical. By approaching more realistic parameters, the extension of this bistable regime increases (lower Rossby numbers). An hysteretic behaviour questions the common interpretation for geomagnetic reversals. Far above Rm_c$, the Lorentz force becomes dominant, as it is expected in planetary cores.

  4. Torsion Bounds from CP Violation α2-DYNAMO in Axion-Photon Cosmic Plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garcia de Andrade, L. C.

    Years ago Mohanty and Sarkar [Phys. Lett. B 433, 424 (1998)] have placed bounds on torsion mass from K meson physics. In this paper, associating torsion to axions a la Campanelli et al. [Phys. Rev. D 72, 123001 (2005)], it is shown that it is possible to place limits on spacetime torsion by considering an efficient α2-dynamo CP violation term. Therefore instead of Kostelecky et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 111102 (2008)] torsion bounds from Lorentz violation, here torsion bounds are obtained from CP violation through dynamo magnetic field amplification. It is also shown that oscillating photon-axion frequency peak is reduced to 10-7 Hz due to torsion mass (or Planck mass when torsion does not propagate) contribution to the photon-axion-torsion action. Though torsion does not couple to electromagnetic fields at classical level, it does at the quantum level. Recently, Garcia de Andrade [Phys. Lett. B 468, 28 (2011)] has shown that the photon sector of Lorentz violation (LV) Lagrangian leads to linear nonstandard Maxwell equations where the magnetic field decays slower giving rise to a seed for galactic dynamos. Torsion constraints of the order of K0≈10-42 GeV can be obtained which are more stringent than the value obtained by Kostelecky et al. A lower bound for the existence of galactic dynamos is obtained for torsion as K0≈10-37 GeV.

  5. Statistical theory of dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, E.; Newton, A. P.

    2012-04-01

    One major problem in dynamo theory is the multi-scale nature of the MHD turbulence, which requires statistical theory in terms of probability distribution functions. In this contribution, we present the statistical theory of magnetic fields in a simplified mean field α-Ω dynamo model by varying the statistical property of alpha, including marginal stability and intermittency, and then utilize observational data of solar activity to fine-tune the mean field dynamo model. Specifically, we first present a comprehensive investigation into the effect of the stochastic parameters in a simplified α-Ω dynamo model. Through considering the manifold of marginal stability (the region of parameter space where the mean growth rate is zero), we show that stochastic fluctuations are conductive to dynamo. Furthermore, by considering the cases of fluctuating alpha that are periodic and Gaussian coloured random noise with identical characteristic time-scales and fluctuating amplitudes, we show that the transition to dynamo is significantly facilitated for stochastic alpha with random noise. Furthermore, we show that probability density functions (PDFs) of the growth-rate, magnetic field and magnetic energy can provide a wealth of useful information regarding the dynamo behaviour/intermittency. Finally, the precise statistical property of the dynamo such as temporal correlation and fluctuating amplitude is found to be dependent on the distribution the fluctuations of stochastic parameters. We then use observations of solar activity to constrain parameters relating to the effect in stochastic α-Ω nonlinear dynamo models. This is achieved through performing a comprehensive statistical comparison by computing PDFs of solar activity from observations and from our simulation of mean field dynamo model. The observational data that are used are the time history of solar activity inferred for C14 data in the past 11000 years on a long time scale and direct observations of the sun spot

  6. Multiscale Analysis of Rapidly Rotating Dynamo Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orvedahl, R.; Calkins, M. A.; Featherstone, N. A.

    2017-12-01

    The magnetic field of the planets and stars are generated by dynamo action in their electrically conducting fluid interiors. Numerical models of this process solve the fundamental equations of magnetohydrodynamics driven by convection in a rotating spherical shell. Rotation plays an important role in modifying the resulting convective flows and the self-generated magnetic field. We present results of simulating rapidly rotating systems that are unstable to dynamo action. We use the pseudo-spectral code Rayleigh to generate a suite of direct numerical simulations. Each simulation uses the Boussinesq approximation and is characterized by an Ekman number (Ek=ν /Ω L2) of 10-5. We vary the degree of convective forcing to obtain a range of convective Rossby numbers. The resulting flows and magnetic structures are analyzed using a Reynolds decomposition. We determine the relative importance of each term in the scale-separated governing equations and estimate the relevant spatial scales responsible for generating the mean magnetic field.

  7. Multiscale Analysis of Rapidly Rotating Dynamo Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orvedahl, Ryan; Calkins, Michael; Featherstone, Nicholas

    2017-11-01

    The magnetic field of the planets and stars are generated by dynamo action in their electrically conducting fluid interiors. Numerical models of this process solve the fundamental equations of magnetohydrodynamics driven by convection in a rotating spherical shell. Rotation plays an important role in modifying the resulting convective flows and the self-generated magnetic field. We present results of simulating rapidly rotating systems that are unstable to dynamo action. We use the pseudo-spectral code Rayleigh to generate a suite of direct numerical simulations. Each simulation uses the Boussinesq approximation and is characterized by an Ekman number (Ek = ν / ΩL2) of 10-5. We vary the degree of convective forcing to obtain a range of convective Rossby numbers. The resulting flows and magnetic structures are analyzed using a Reynolds decomposition. We determine the relative importance of each term in the scale-separated governing equations and estimate the relevant spatial scales responsible for generating the mean magnetic field.

  8. Generation of electric fields and currents by neutral flows in weakly ionized plasmas through collisional dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dimant, Y. S.; Oppenheim, M. M.; Fletcher, A. C.

    2016-08-01

    In weakly ionized plasmas neutral flows drag plasma across magnetic field lines generating intense electric fields and currents. An example occurs in the Earth's ionosphere near the geomagnetic equator. Similar processes take place in the Solar chromosphere and magnetohydrodynamic generators. This paper argues that not all convective neutral flows generate electric fields and currents and it introduces the corresponding universal criterion for their formation, ∇×(U ×B )≠∂B /∂t , where U is the neutral flow velocity, B is the magnetic field, and t is time. This criterion does not depend on the conductivity tensor, σ ̂ . For many systems, the displacement current, ∂B /∂t , is negligible making the criterion even simpler. This theory also shows that the neutral-dynamo driver that generates E-fields and currents plays the same role as the DC electric current plays for the generation of the magnetic field in the Biot-Savart law.

  9. The dynamo dilemma

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parker, E. N.

    1987-01-01

    The recent determination that the angular velocity Omega of the sun declines downward through the convective zone raises serious questions about the nature of the solar dynamo. The principal qualitative features of the sun are the azimuthal fields that migrate toward the equator in association with an oscillating poloidal field which reverses at about the time of maximum appearance of bipolar magnetic regions. If Omega decreases downward, or is negligible, the horizontal gradient in Omega produces a dynamo with some of these essential characteristics. There is reason to think that the dynamo is confined to the lower half of the convective zone, where alpha has the opposite sign from the usual (alpha of greater than 0 in the northern hemisphere) producing equatorward migration but reversing the sign of the associated poloidal field. Meridional circulation may play an essential role in shaping the dynamo. At the present time it is essential to measure Omega accurately and determine the nature of the meridional circulation.

  10. Plasma response to sustainment with imposed-dynamo current drive in HIT-SI and HIT-SI3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hossack, A. C.; Jarboe, T. R.; Chandra, R. N.; Morgan, K. D.; Sutherland, D. A.; Penna, J. M.; Everson, C. J.; Nelson, B. A.

    2017-07-01

    The helicity injected torus—steady inductive (HIT-SI) program studies efficient, steady-state current drive for magnetic confinement plasmas using a novel experimental method. Stable, high-beta spheromaks have been sustained using steady, inductive current drive. Externally induced loop voltage and magnetic flux are oscillated together so that helicity and power injection are always positive, sustaining the edge plasma current indefinitely. Imposed-dynamo current drive (IDCD) theory further shows that the entire plasma current is sustained. The method is ideal for low aspect ratio, toroidal geometries with closed flux surfaces. Experimental studies of spheromak plasmas sustained with IDCD have shown stable magnetic profiles with evidence of pressure confinement. New measurements show coherent motion of a stable spheromak in response to the imposed perturbations. On the original device two helicity injectors were mounted on either side of the spheromak and the injected mode spectrum was predominantly n  =  1. Coherent, rigid motion indicates that the spheromak is stable and a lack of plasma-generated n  =  1 energy indicates that the maximum q is maintained below 1 during sustainment. Results from the HIT-SI3 device are also presented. Three inductive helicity injectors are mounted on one side of the spheromak flux conserver. Varying the relative injector phasing changes the injected mode spectrum which includes n  =  2, 3, and higher modes.

  11. Properties of Nonlinear Dynamo Waves

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tobias, S. M.

    1997-01-01

    Dynamo theory offers the most promising explanation of the generation of the sun's magnetic cycle. Mean field electrodynamics has provided the platform for linear and nonlinear models of solar dynamos. However, the nonlinearities included are (necessarily) arbitrarily imposed in these models. This paper conducts a systematic survey of the role of nonlinearities in the dynamo process, by considering the behaviour of dynamo waves in the nonlinear regime. It is demonstrated that only by considering realistic nonlinearities that are non-local in space and time can modulation of the basic dynamo wave he achieved. Moreover, this modulation is greatest when there is a large separation of timescales provided by including a low magnetic Prandtl number in the equation for the velocity perturbations.

  12. Simulations of the kinematic dynamo onset of spherical Couette flows with smooth and rough boundaries.

    PubMed

    Finke, K; Tilgner, A

    2012-07-01

    We study numerically the dynamo transition of an incompressible electrically conducting fluid filling the gap between two concentric spheres. In a first series of simulations, the fluid is driven by the rotation of a smooth inner sphere through no-slip boundary conditions, whereas the outer sphere is stationary. In a second series a volume force intended to simulate a rough surface drives the fluid next to the inner sphere within a layer of thickness one-tenth of the gap width. We investigate the effect of the boundary layer thickness on the dynamo threshold in the turbulent regime. The simulations show that the boundary forcing simulating the rough surface lowers the necessary rotation rate, which may help to improve spherical dynamo experiments.

  13. Paleomagnetic evidence for dynamo activity driven by inward crystallisation of a metallic asteroid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bryson, James F. J.; Weiss, Benjamin P.; Harrison, Richard J.; Herrero-Albillos, Julia; Kronast, Florian

    2017-08-01

    The direction in which a planetary core solidifies has fundamental implications for the feasibility and nature of dynamo generation. Although Earth's core is outwardly solidifying, the cores of certain smaller planetary bodies have been proposed to inwardly solidify due to their lower central pressures. However, there have been no unambiguous observations of inwardly solidified cores or the relationship between this solidification regime and planetary magnetic activity. To address this gap, we present the results of complimentary paleomagnetic techniques applied to the matrix metal and silicate inclusions within the IVA iron meteorites. This family of meteorites has been suggested to originate from a planetary core that had its overlaying silicate mantle removed by collisions during the early solar system. This process is thought to have produced a molten ball of metal that cooled rapidly and has been proposed to have inwardly solidified. Recent thermal evolution models of such a body predict that it should have generated an intense, multipolar and time-varying dynamo field. This field could have been recorded as a remanent magnetisation in the outer, cool layers of a solid crust on the IVA parent core. We find that the different components in the IVA iron meteorites display a range of paleomagnetic fidelities, depending crucially on the cooling rate of the meteorite. In particular, silicate inclusions in the quickly cooled São João Nepomuceno meteorite are poor paleomagnetic recorders. On the other hand, the matrix metal and some silicate subsamples from the relatively slowly cooled Steinbach meteorite are far better paleomagnetic recorders and provide evidence of an intense (≳100 μT) and directionally varying (exhibiting significant changes on a timescale ≲200 kyr) magnetic field. This is the first demonstration that some iron meteorites record ancient planetary magnetic fields. Furthermore, the observed field intensity, temporal variability and dynamo

  14. DOUBLE DYNAMO SIGNATURES IN A GLOBAL MHD SIMULATION AND MEAN-FIELD DYNAMOS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Beaudoin, Patrice; Simard, Corinne; Cossette, Jean-François

    The 11 year solar activity cycle is the most prominent periodic manifestation of the magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) large-scale dynamo operating in the solar interior, yet longer and shorter (quasi-) periodicities are also present. The so-called “quasi-biennial” signal appearing in many proxies of solar activity has been gaining increasing attention since its detection in p -mode frequency shifts, which suggests a subphotospheric origin. A number of candidate mechanisms have been proposed, including beating between co-existing global dynamo modes, dual dynamos operating in spatially separated regions of the solar interior, and Rossby waves driving short-period oscillations in the large-scale solar magnetic field producedmore » by the 11 year activity cycle. In this article, we analyze a global MHD simulation of solar convection producing regular large-scale magnetic cycles, and detect and characterize shorter periodicities developing therein. By constructing kinematic mean-field α {sup 2}Ω dynamo models incorporating the turbulent electromotive force (emf) extracted from that same simulation, we find that dual-dynamo behavior materializes in fairly wide regions of the model’s parameters space. This suggests that the origin of the similar behavior detected in the MHD simulation lies with the joint complexity of the turbulent emf and differential rotation profile, rather that with dynamical interactions such as those mediated by Rossby waves. Analysis of the simulation also reveals that the dual dynamo operating therein leaves a double-period signature in the temperature field, consistent with a dual-period helioseismic signature. Order-of-magnitude estimates for the magnitude of the expected frequency shifts are commensurate with helioseismic measurements. Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that the solar quasi-biennial oscillations are associated with a secondary dynamo process operating in the outer reaches of the solar convection zone.« less

  15. Dynamic motif occupancy (DynaMO) analysis identifies transcription factors and their binding sites driving dynamic biological processes

    PubMed Central

    Kuang, Zheng; Ji, Zhicheng

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Biological processes are usually associated with genome-wide remodeling of transcription driven by transcription factors (TFs). Identifying key TFs and their spatiotemporal binding patterns are indispensable to understanding how dynamic processes are programmed. However, most methods are designed to predict TF binding sites only. We present a computational method, dynamic motif occupancy analysis (DynaMO), to infer important TFs and their spatiotemporal binding activities in dynamic biological processes using chromatin profiling data from multiple biological conditions such as time-course histone modification ChIP-seq data. In the first step, DynaMO predicts TF binding sites with a random forests approach. Next and uniquely, DynaMO infers dynamic TF binding activities at predicted binding sites using their local chromatin profiles from multiple biological conditions. Another landmark of DynaMO is to identify key TFs in a dynamic process using a clustering and enrichment analysis of dynamic TF binding patterns. Application of DynaMO to the yeast ultradian cycle, mouse circadian clock and human neural differentiation exhibits its accuracy and versatility. We anticipate DynaMO will be generally useful for elucidating transcriptional programs in dynamic processes. PMID:29325176

  16. Ion heating and characteristics of ST plasma used by double-pulsing CHI on HIST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanao, Takafumi; Hirono, Hidetoshi; Hyobu, Takahiro; Ito, Kengo; Matsumoto, Keisuke; Nakayama, Takashi; Oki, Nobuharu; Kikuchi, Yusuke; Fukumoto, Naoyuki; Nagata, Masayoshi

    2013-10-01

    Multi-pulsing Coaxial Helicity Injection (M-CHI) is an efficient current drive and sustainment method used in spheromak and spherical torus (ST). We have observed plasma current/flux amplification by double pulsing CHI. Poloidal ion temperature measured by Ion Doppler Spectrometer (IDS) has a peak at plasma core region. In this region, radial electric field has a negative peak. At more inboard side that is called separatrix between closed flux region and inner open flux region, poloidal flow has a large shear and radial electric field changes the polarity. After the second CHI pulse, we observed sharp and rapid ion heating at plasma core region and separatrix. In this region, the poloidal ion temperature is selective heating because electron temperature is almost uniform. At this time, flow shear become larger and radial electric field is amplified at separatorix. These effects produce direct heating of ion through the viscous flow damping. Furthermore, we observed decrease of electron density at separatrix. Decreased density makes Hall dynamo electric field as two-fluid effect. When the ion temperature is increasing, dynamo electric field is observed at separatrix. It may have influence with the ion heating. We will discuss characteristic of double pulsing CHI driven ST plasmas and correlation of direct heating of ion with dynamo electric field and any other parameters.

  17. Do steady fast magnetic dynamos exist?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Finn, John M.; Ott, Edward; Hanson, James D.; Kan, Ittai

    1989-01-01

    This paper considers the question of the existense of a steady fast kinematic magnetic dynamo for a conducting fluid with a steady velocity field and vanishingly small electrical resistivity. The analysis of examples of steady dynamos, found by considering the zero-resistivity dynamics, indicated that, for sufficiently small resistivity, dynamo action can indeed occur in steady smooth three-dimensional chaotic fluid flows and that fast dynamos should consequently be a typical occurrence for such flows.

  18. Recent Progress in Understanding the Sun's Magnetic Dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hathaway, David. H.

    2004-01-01

    100 years ago we thought that the Sun and stars shone as a result of slow gravitational contraction over a few tens of millions of years - putting astronomers at odds with geologists who claimed that the Earth was much, much older. That mystery was solved in the 1920s and 30s with the discovery of nuclear energy (proving that the geologists had it right all along). Other scientific mysteries concerning the Sun have come and gone but three major mysteries remain: 1) How does the Sun produce sunspots with an 11-year cycle? 2) What produces the huge explosions that result in solar flares, prominence eruptions, and coronal mass ejections? and 3) Why is the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, so darned hot? Recent progress in solar astronomy reveals a single key to understanding all three of these mysteries.The 11-year time scale for the sunspot cycle indicates the presence of a magnetic dynamo within the Sun. For decades this dynamo was though to operate within the Sun's convection zone - the outmost 30% of the Sun where convective currents transport heat and advect magnetic lines of force. The two leading theories for the dynamo had very different models for the dynamics of the convection zone. Actual measurements of the dynamics using the techniques of helioseismology showed that both of these models had to be wrong some 20 years ago. A thin layer of strongly sheared flow at the base of the convection zone (now called the tachocline) was then taken to be the seat of the dynamo. Over the last 10 years it has become apparent that a weak meridional circulation within the convection zone also plays a key role in the dynamo. This meridional circulation has plasma rising up from the tachocline in the equatorial regions, spreading out toward the poles at a top speed of about 10-20 m/s at the surface, sinking back down to the tachocline in the polar regions, and then flowing back toward the equator at a top speed of about 1-2 m/s in the tachocline itself. Recent dynamo

  19. Grand minima and equatorial symmetry breaking in axisymmetric dynamo models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brooke, John M.; Pelt, Jaan; Tavakol, Reza; Tworkowski, Andrew

    1998-04-01

    We consider the manner in which time-periodic solutions of an axisymmetric dynamo model can undergo breaking of equatorial symmetry, i.e. loss of pure dipolar or quadrupolar symmetry. By considering the symmetry group underlying the solutions, we show that the fluctuations responsible for the symmetry-breaking can be constrained such that they are in resonance with the former solution. They can then be amplified until they are comparable in magnitude to the former solution. If the bifurcation is supercritical, the amplitude of the fluctuation is stabilised and a stable mixed parity limit cycle is formed. If it is subcritical it gives rise to a recently identified form of intermittency, called icicle intermittency. This produces episodes in which the original solution and the fluctuation are almost exactly synchronised and the fluctuation grows exponentially in amplitude, interrupted by brief episodes where synchronicity is lost and the amplitude of the fluctuation declines rapidly by several orders of magnitude. During these latter episodes there is a significant dip in the amplitude of the total magnetic field. This model-independent analysis can produce quantitative predictions for the behaviour of this bifurcation and we provide evidence for this behaviour by analysing timeseries from four different mean-field dynamo models, where intermittency is observed without the need for stochastic, or chaotically driven, forcing terms in the dynamo equations. We compare these results with recent work on intermittency in dynamo models and consider their relevance to the intermittency present in solar and stellar cycles.

  20. A long-lived lunar core dynamo.

    PubMed

    Shea, Erin K; Weiss, Benjamin P; Cassata, William S; Shuster, David L; Tikoo, Sonia M; Gattacceca, Jérôme; Grove, Timothy L; Fuller, Michael D

    2012-01-27

    Paleomagnetic measurements indicate that a core dynamo probably existed on the Moon 4.2 billion years ago. However, the subsequent history of the lunar core dynamo is unknown. Here we report paleomagnetic, petrologic, and (40)Ar/(39)Ar thermochronometry measurements on the 3.7-billion-year-old mare basalt sample 10020. This sample contains a high-coercivity magnetization acquired in a stable field of at least ~12 microteslas. These data extend the known lifetime of the lunar dynamo by 500 million years. Such a long-lived lunar dynamo probably required a power source other than thermochemical convection from secular cooling of the lunar interior. The inferred strong intensity of the lunar paleofield presents a challenge to current dynamo theory.

  1. An Elementary Introduction to Solar Dynamo Theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choudhuri, Arnab Rai

    2007-07-01

    The cyclically varying magnetic field of the Sun is believed to be produced by the hydromagnetic dynamo process. We first summarize the relevant observational data pertaining to sunspots and solar cycle. Then we review the basic principles of MHD needed to develop the dynamo theory. This is followed by a discussion how bipolar sunspots form due to magnetic buoyancy of flux tubes formed at the base of the solar convection zone. Following this, we come to the heart of dynamo theory. After summarizing the basic ideas of a turbulent dynamo and the basic principles of its mean field formulation, we present the famous dynamo wave solution, which was supposed to provide a model for the solar cycle. Finally we point out how a flux transport dynamo can circumvent some of the difficulties associated with the older dynamo models.

  2. Solar-wind/magnetospheric dynamos: MHD-scale collective entry of the solar wind energy, momentum and mass into the magnetosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Song, Yan; Lysak, Robert L.

    1992-01-01

    A quasi open MHD (Magnetohydrodynamic) scale anomalous transport controlled boundary layer model is proposed, where the MHD collective behavior of magnetofluids (direct dynamo effect, anomalous viscous interaction and anomalous diffusion of the mass and the magnetic field) plays the main role in the conversion of the Solar Wind (SW) kinetic and magnetic energy into electromagnetic energy in the Magnetosphere (MSp). The so called direct and indirect dynamo effects are based on inductive and purely dissipative energy conversion, respectively. The self organization ability of vector fields in turbulent magnetofluids implies an inductive response of the plasma, which leads to the direct dynamo effect. The direct dynamo effect describes the direct formation of localized field aligned currents and the transverse Alfven waves and provides a source for MHD scale anomalous diffusivity and viscosity. The SW/MSp coupling depends on the dynamo efficiency.

  3. Dynamic motif occupancy (DynaMO) analysis identifies transcription factors and their binding sites driving dynamic biological processes.

    PubMed

    Kuang, Zheng; Ji, Zhicheng; Boeke, Jef D; Ji, Hongkai

    2018-01-09

    Biological processes are usually associated with genome-wide remodeling of transcription driven by transcription factors (TFs). Identifying key TFs and their spatiotemporal binding patterns are indispensable to understanding how dynamic processes are programmed. However, most methods are designed to predict TF binding sites only. We present a computational method, dynamic motif occupancy analysis (DynaMO), to infer important TFs and their spatiotemporal binding activities in dynamic biological processes using chromatin profiling data from multiple biological conditions such as time-course histone modification ChIP-seq data. In the first step, DynaMO predicts TF binding sites with a random forests approach. Next and uniquely, DynaMO infers dynamic TF binding activities at predicted binding sites using their local chromatin profiles from multiple biological conditions. Another landmark of DynaMO is to identify key TFs in a dynamic process using a clustering and enrichment analysis of dynamic TF binding patterns. Application of DynaMO to the yeast ultradian cycle, mouse circadian clock and human neural differentiation exhibits its accuracy and versatility. We anticipate DynaMO will be generally useful for elucidating transcriptional programs in dynamic processes. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  4. Dynamo transition in low-dimensional models.

    PubMed

    Verma, Mahendra K; Lessinnes, Thomas; Carati, Daniele; Sarris, Ioannis; Kumar, Krishna; Singh, Meenakshi

    2008-09-01

    Two low-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic models containing three velocity and three magnetic modes are described. One of them (nonhelical model) has zero kinetic and current helicity, while the other model (helical) has nonzero kinetic and current helicity. The velocity modes are forced in both these models. These low-dimensional models exhibit a dynamo transition at a critical forcing amplitude that depends on the Prandtl number. In the nonhelical model, dynamo exists only for magnetic Prandtl number beyond 1, while the helical model exhibits dynamo for all magnetic Prandtl number. Although the model is far from reproducing all the possible features of dynamo mechanisms, its simplicity allows a very detailed study and the observed dynamo transition is shown to bear similarities with recent numerical and experimental results.

  5. Nonlinear quenching of current fluctuations in a self-exciting homopolar dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hide, R.

    In the interpretation of geomagnetic polarity reversals with their highly variable frequency over geological time it is necessary, as with other irregularly fluctuating geophysical phenomena, to consider the relative importance of forced contributions associated with changing boundary conditions and of free contributions characteristic of the behaviour of nonlinear systems operating under fixed boundary conditions. New evidence -albeit indirect- in favour of the likely predominance of forced contributions is provided by the discovery reported here of the possibility of complete quenching by nonlineax effects of current fluctuations in a self-exciting homopolar dynamo with its single Faraday disk driven into rotation with angular speed y(τ) (where τ denotes time) by a steady applied couple. The armature of an electric motor connected in series with the coil of the dynamo is driven into rotation' with angular speed z(τ) by a torque xf (x) due to Lorentz forces associated with the electric current x(τ) in the system (just as certain parts of the spectrum of eddies within the liquid outer core are generated largely by Lorentz forces associated with currents generated by the self-exciting magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) geodynamo). The discovery is based on bifurcation analysis supported by computational studies of the following (mathematically novel) autonomous set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations: dx/dt = x(y - 1) - βzf(x), dy/dt = α(1 - x²) - κy, dz/dt = xf (x) -λz, where f (x) = 1 - ɛ + ɛσx, in cases when the dimensionless parameters (α, β, κ, λ, σ) are all positive and 0 ≤ ɛ ≤ 1. Within those regions of (α, β, κ, λ, σ) parameter space where the applied couple, as measured by α, is strong enough for persistent dynamo action (i.e. x ≠ 0) to occur at all, there are in general extensive regions where x(τ) exhibits large amplitude regular or irregular (chaotic) fluctuations. But these fluctuating régimes shrink in size as increases

  6. Shear dynamo, turbulence, and the magnetorotational instability

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Squire, Jonathan

    The formation, evolution, and detailed structure of accretion disks remain poorly understood, with wide implications across a variety of astrophysical disciplines. While the most pressing question – what causes the high angular momentum fluxes that are necessary to explain observations? – is nicely answered by the idea that the disk is turbulent, a more complete grasp of the fundamental processes is necessary to capture the wide variety of behaviors observed in the night sky. This thesis studies the turbulence in ionized accretion disks from a theoretical standpoint, in particular focusing on the generation of magnetic fields in these processes, knownmore » as dynamo. Such fields are expected to be enormously important, both by enabling the magnetorotational instability (which evolves into virulent turbulence), and through large-scale structure formation, which may transport angular momentum in different ways and be fundamental for the formation of jets. The central result of this thesis is the suggestion of a new large-scale dynamo mechanism in shear flows – the “magnetic shear-current effect” – which relies on a positive feedback from smallscale magnetic fields. As well as being a very promising candidate for driving field generation in the central regions of accretion disks, this effect is interesting because small-scale magnetic fields have historically been considered to have a negative effect on the large-scale dynamo, damping growth and leading to dire predictions for final saturation amplitudes. Given that small-scale fields are ubiquitous in plasma turbulence above moderate Reynolds numbers, the finding that they could instead have a positive effect in some situations is interesting from a theoretical and practical standpoint. The effect is studied using direct numerical simulation, analytic techniques, and novel statistical simulation methods. In addition to the dynamo, much attention is given to the linear physics of disks and its relevance

  7. Residual fields from extinct dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parker, E. N.

    The generation of magnetic fields in convective zones of declining vigor and/or thickness is considered, the goal being to explain the magnetic fields observed in A-stars. The investigation is restricted to kinematical dynamos in order to show some of the many possibilities, which depend on the assumed conditions of decline of the convection. The examples illustrate the quantitative detail required to describe the convection in order to extract any firm conclusions concerning specific stars. The first example treats the basic problem of diffusion from a layer of declining thickness. The second has a buoyant rise added to the field in the layer. The third deals with plane dynamo waves in a region with declining eddy diffusivity, dynamo coefficient, and large-scale shear. It is noted that the dynamo number may increase or decrease with declining convection, with an increase expected if the large-scale shear does not decline as rapidly as the eddy diffusivity. It is shown that one of the components of the field may increase without bound even when the dynamo number declines to zero.

  8. ON THE CAUSE OF SOLAR-LIKE EQUATORWARD MIGRATION IN GLOBAL CONVECTIVE DYNAMO SIMULATIONS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Warnecke, Jörn; Käpylä, Petri J.; Käpylä, Maarit J.

    2014-11-20

    We present results from four convectively driven stellar dynamo simulations in spherical wedge geometry. All of these simulations produce cyclic and migrating mean magnetic fields. Through detailed comparisons, we show that the migration direction can be explained by an αΩ dynamo wave following the Parker-Yoshimura rule. We conclude that the equatorward migration in this and previous work is due to a positive (negative) α effect in the northern (southern) hemisphere and a negative radial gradient of Ω outside the inner tangent cylinder of these models. This idea is supported by a strong correlation between negative radial shear and toroidal fieldmore » strength in the region of equatorward propagation.« less

  9. Magnetic Helicity and Planetary Dynamos

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shebalin, John V.

    2012-01-01

    A model planetary dynamo based on the Boussinesq approximation along with homogeneous boundary conditions is considered. A statistical theory describing a large-scale MHD dynamo is found, in which magnetic helicity is the critical parameter

  10. Apparatus for generating quasi-free-space microwave-driven plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoff, Brad W.; French, David M.; Reid, Remington R.; Lawrance, Julie E.; Lepell, P. David; Maestas, Sabrina S.

    2016-03-01

    An apparatus for generating quasi-free-space microwave-driven plasmas has been designed, constructed, and tested. The plasma is driven by a multi-kW, ˜5 GHz microwave beam focused at the center of a vacuum chamber using a Koch-type metal plate lens. Sustained plasma discharges have been generated in argon at pressures ranging from 150 to 200 mTorr, at beam power levels ranging from 5 to 10 kW, and at gas flow rates of approximately 200 SCCM.

  11. Apparatus for generating quasi-free-space microwave-driven plasmas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hoff, Brad W.; French, David M.; Reid, Remington R.

    An apparatus for generating quasi-free-space microwave-driven plasmas has been designed, constructed, and tested. The plasma is driven by a multi-kW, ∼5 GHz microwave beam focused at the center of a vacuum chamber using a Koch-type metal plate lens. Sustained plasma discharges have been generated in argon at pressures ranging from 150 to 200 mTorr, at beam power levels ranging from 5 to 10 kW, and at gas flow rates of approximately 200 SCCM.

  12. Apparatus for generating quasi-free-space microwave-driven plasmas.

    PubMed

    Hoff, Brad W; French, David M; Reid, Remington R; Lawrance, Julie E; Lepell, P David; Maestas, Sabrina S

    2016-03-01

    An apparatus for generating quasi-free-space microwave-driven plasmas has been designed, constructed, and tested. The plasma is driven by a multi-kW, ∼5 GHz microwave beam focused at the center of a vacuum chamber using a Koch-type metal plate lens. Sustained plasma discharges have been generated in argon at pressures ranging from 150 to 200 mTorr, at beam power levels ranging from 5 to 10 kW, and at gas flow rates of approximately 200 SCCM.

  13. Magnetic dynamo activity in mechanically driven compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shebalin, John V.; Montgomery, David

    1989-01-01

    Magnetic dynamo activity in a homogeneous, dissipative, polytropic, two-dimensional, turbulent magneto-fluid is simulated numerically. The magneto-fluid is simulated numerically. The magneto-fluid is, in a number of cases, mechanically forced so that energy input balances dissipation, thereby maintaining constant energy. In the presence of a mean magnetic field, a magneto-fluid whose initial turbulent magnetic energy is zero quickly arrives at a state of non-zero turbulent magnetic energy. If the mean magnetic field energy density is small, the turbulent magnetic field can achieve a local energy density more than four hundred times larger; if the mean magnetic field energy density is large, then equipartition between the turbulent magnetic and kinetic energy is achieved. Compared to the presence of a mean magnetic field, compressibility appears to have only a marginal effect in mediating the transfer of turbulent kinetic energy into magnetic energy.

  14. Kinematic dynamo action in square and hexagonal patterns.

    PubMed

    Favier, B; Proctor, M R E

    2013-11-01

    We consider kinematic dynamo action in rapidly rotating Boussinesq convection just above onset. The velocity is constrained to have either a square or a hexagonal pattern. For the square pattern, large-scale dynamo action is observed at onset, with most of the magnetic energy being contained in the horizontally averaged component. As the magnetic Reynolds number increases, small-scale dynamo action becomes possible, reducing the overall growth rate of the dynamo. For the hexagonal pattern, the breaking of symmetry between up and down flows results in an effective pumping velocity. For intermediate rotation rates, this additional effect can prevent the growth of any mean-field dynamo, so that only a small-scale dynamo is eventually possible at large enough magnetic Reynolds number. For very large rotation rates, this pumping term becomes negligible, and the dynamo properties of square and hexagonal patterns are qualitatively similar. These results hold for both perfectly conducting and infinite magnetic permeability boundary conditions.

  15. Current-driven plasma acceleration versus current-driven energy dissipation. I - Wave stability theory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kelly, A. J.; Jahn, R. G.; Choueiri, E. Y.

    1990-01-01

    The dominant unstable electrostatic wave modes of an electromagnetically accelerated plasma are investigated. The study is the first part of a three-phase program aimed at characterizing the current-driven turbulent dissipation degrading the efficiency of Lorentz force plasma accelerators such as the MPD thruster. The analysis uses a kinetic theory that includes magnetic and thermal effects as well as those of an electron current transverse to the magnetic field and collisions, thus combining all the features of previous models. Analytical and numerical solutions allow a detailed description of threshold criteria, finite growth behavior, destabilization mechanisms and maximized-growth characteristics of the dominant unstable modes. The lower hybrid current-driven instability is implicated as dominant and was found to preserve its character in the collisional plasma regime.

  16. Nonlinear Large Scale Flow in a Precessing Cylinder and Its Ability To Drive Dynamo Action

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giesecke, André; Vogt, Tobias; Gundrum, Thomas; Stefani, Frank

    2018-01-01

    We have conducted experimental measurements and numerical simulations of a precession-driven flow in a cylindrical cavity. The study is dedicated to the precession dynamo experiment currently under construction at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and aims at the evaluation of the hydrodynamic flow with respect to its ability to drive a dynamo. We focus on the strongly nonlinear regime in which the flow is essentially composed of the directly forced primary Kelvin mode and higher modes in terms of standing inertial waves arising from nonlinear self-interactions. We obtain an excellent agreement between experiment and simulation with regard to both flow amplitudes and flow geometry. A peculiarity is the resonance-like emergence of an axisymmetric mode that represents a double roll structure in the meridional plane. Kinematic simulations of the magnetic field evolution induced by the time-averaged flow yield dynamo action at critical magnetic Reynolds numbers around Rmc≈430 , which is well within the range of the planned liquid sodium experiment.

  17. Nonlinear Large Scale Flow in a Precessing Cylinder and Its Ability To Drive Dynamo Action.

    PubMed

    Giesecke, André; Vogt, Tobias; Gundrum, Thomas; Stefani, Frank

    2018-01-12

    We have conducted experimental measurements and numerical simulations of a precession-driven flow in a cylindrical cavity. The study is dedicated to the precession dynamo experiment currently under construction at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and aims at the evaluation of the hydrodynamic flow with respect to its ability to drive a dynamo. We focus on the strongly nonlinear regime in which the flow is essentially composed of the directly forced primary Kelvin mode and higher modes in terms of standing inertial waves arising from nonlinear self-interactions. We obtain an excellent agreement between experiment and simulation with regard to both flow amplitudes and flow geometry. A peculiarity is the resonance-like emergence of an axisymmetric mode that represents a double roll structure in the meridional plane. Kinematic simulations of the magnetic field evolution induced by the time-averaged flow yield dynamo action at critical magnetic Reynolds numbers around Rm^{c}≈430, which is well within the range of the planned liquid sodium experiment.

  18. Coupled fluid-flow and magnetic-field simulation of the Riga dynamo experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kenjeres, S.; Hanjalic, K.; Renaudier, S.

    2006-12-15

    Magnetic fields of planets, stars, and galaxies result from self-excitation in moving electroconducting fluids, also known as the dynamo effect. This phenomenon was recently experimentally confirmed in the Riga dynamo experiment [A. Gailitis et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 4365 (2000); A. Gailitis et al., Physics of Plasmas 11, 2838 (2004)], consisting of a helical motion of sodium in a long pipe followed by a straight backflow in a surrounding annular passage, which provided adequate conditions for magnetic-field self-excitation. In this paper, a first attempt to simulate computationally the Riga experiment is reported. The velocity and turbulence fields are modeledmore » by a finite-volume Navier-Stokes solver using a Reynolds-averaged-Navier-Stokes turbulence model. The magnetic field is computed by an Adams-Bashforth finite-difference solver. The coupling of the two computational codes, although performed sequentially, provides an improved understanding of the interaction between the fluid velocity and magnetic fields in the saturation regime of the Riga dynamo experiment under realistic working conditions.« less

  19. The Near-Earth Plasma Environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pfaff, Robert F., Jr.

    2012-01-01

    An overview of the plasma environment near the earth is provided. We describe how the near-earth plasma is formed, including photo-ionization from solar photons and impact ionization at high latitudes from energetic particles. We review the fundamental characteristics of the earth's plasma environment, with emphasis on the ionosphere and its interactions with the extended neutral atmosphere. Important processes that control ionospheric physics at low, middle, and high latitudes are discussed. The general dynamics and morphology of the ionized gas at mid- and low-latitudes are described including electrodynamic contributions from wind-driven dynamos, tides, and planetary-scale waves. The unique properties of the near-earth plasma and its associated currents at high latitudes are shown to depend on precipitating auroral charged particles and strong electric fields which map earthward from the magnetosphere. The upper atmosphere is shown to have profound effects on the transfer of energy and momentum between the high-latitude plasma and the neutral constituents. The article concludes with a discussion of how the near-earth plasma responds to magnetic storms associated with solar disturbances.

  20. Beam-driven acceleration in ultra-dense plasma media

    DOE PAGES

    Shin, Young-Min

    2014-09-15

    Accelerating parameters of beam-driven wakefield acceleration in an extremely dense plasma column has been analyzed with the dynamic framed particle-in-cell plasma simulator, and compared with analytic calculations. In the model, a witness beam undergoes a TeV/m scale alternating potential gradient excited by a micro-bunched drive beam in a 10 25 m -3 and 1.6 x 10 28 m -3 plasma column. The acceleration gradient, energy gain, and transformer ratio have been extensively studied in quasi-linear, linear-, and blowout-regimes. The simulation analysis indicated that in the beam-driven acceleration system a hollow plasma channel offers 20 % higher acceleration gradient by enlargingmore » the channel radius (r) from 0.2 Ap to 0.6 .Ap in a blowout regime. This paper suggests a feasibility of TeV/m scale acceleration with a hollow crystalline structure (e.g. nanotubes) of high electron plasma density.« less

  1. The nonlinear differential equations governing a hierarchy of self-exciting coupled Faraday-disk homopolar dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hide, Raymond

    1997-02-01

    This paper discusses the derivation of the autonomous sets of dimensionless nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODE's) that govern the behaviour of a hierarchy of related electro-mechanical self-exciting Faraday-disk homopolar dynamo systems driven by steady mechanical couples. Each system comprises N interacting units which could be arranged in a ring or lattice. Within each unit and connected in parallel or in series with the coil are electric motors driven into motion by the dynamo, all having linear characteristics, so that nonlinearity arises entirely through the coupling between components. By introducing simple extra terms into the equations it is possible to represent biasing effects arising from impressed electromotive forces due to thermoelectric or chemical processes and from the presence of ambient magnetic fields. Dissipation in the system is due not only to ohmic heating but also to mechanical friction in the disk and the motors, with the latter agency, no matter how weak, playing an unexpectedly crucial rôle in the production of régimes of chaotic behaviour. This has already been demonstrated in recent work on a case of a single unit incorporating just one series motor, which is governed by a novel autonomous set of nonlinear ODE's with three time-dependent variables and four control parameters. It will be of mathematical as well as geophysical and astrophysical interest to investigate systematically phase and amplitude locking and other types of behaviour in the more complicated cases that arise when N > 1, which can typically involve up to 6 N dependent variables and 19 N-5 control parameters. Even the simplest members of the hierarchy, with N as low as 1, 2 or 3, could prove useful as physically-realistic low-dimensional models in theoretical studies of fluctuating stellar and planetary magnetic fields. Geomagnetic polarity reversals could be affected by the presence of the Earth's solid metallic inner core, driven like an electric motor

  2. HELICITY CONSERVATION IN NONLINEAR MEAN-FIELD SOLAR DYNAMO

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pipin, V. V.; Sokoloff, D. D.; Zhang, H.

    It is believed that magnetic helicity conservation is an important constraint on large-scale astrophysical dynamos. In this paper, we study a mean-field solar dynamo model that employs two different formulations of the magnetic helicity conservation. In the first approach, the evolution of the averaged small-scale magnetic helicity is largely determined by the local induction effects due to the large-scale magnetic field, turbulent motions, and the turbulent diffusive loss of helicity. In this case, the dynamo model shows that the typical strength of the large-scale magnetic field generated by the dynamo is much smaller than the equipartition value for the magneticmore » Reynolds number 10{sup 6}. This is the so-called catastrophic quenching (CQ) phenomenon. In the literature, this is considered to be typical for various kinds of solar dynamo models, including the distributed-type and the Babcock-Leighton-type dynamos. The problem can be resolved by the second formulation, which is derived from the integral conservation of the total magnetic helicity. In this case, the dynamo model shows that magnetic helicity propagates with the dynamo wave from the bottom of the convection zone to the surface. This prevents CQ because of the local balance between the large-scale and small-scale magnetic helicities. Thus, the solar dynamo can operate in a wide range of magnetic Reynolds numbers up to 10{sup 6}.« less

  3. Onset of a planetesimal dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, H.; Weiss, B. P.; Wang, J.; Chen-Wiegart, Y. C. K.; Downey, B. G.; Suavet, C. R.; Andrade Lima, E.; Zucolotto, M. E.

    2014-12-01

    The paleomagnetism of achondritic meteorites provides evidence for advecting metallic core dynamos and large-scale differentiation on their parent planetesimals. The small sizes of these bodies (~102 km) enable a new opportunity to understand the physics of dynamo generation in a size regime with distinct thermal evolution parameters that are more accessible to model than planets. One key unknown about planetesimal dynamos is their onset time. Theoretical studies have suggested that it might occur instantaneously after large-scale melting (Weiss et al. 2008, Elkins-Tanton et al. 2011) while others have argued that a dynamo could be delayed by ~6 My (Sterenborg and Crowley 2013) or longer. Here we present the first paleomagnetic study that has constrained the onset time of a planetesimal dynamo, which has key implications for the physics of core formation, planetary thermal evolution and dynamo generation mechanisms. Our study focused on angrites, a group of ancient basaltic achondrites from near the surface of an early differentiated planetesimal. With unshocked, unbrecciated textures and Pb/Pb ages ranging from only ~3-10 My younger than the formation of calcium aluminum inclusions (CAIs), they are among the oldest known and best preserved planetary igneous rocks. We used a new CO2 + H2 gas mixture system (Suavet et al. 2014) for controlled oxygen fugacity thermal paleointensity experiments on two of the oldest angrites (D'Orbigny and SAH 99555; 4564.4 Ma) and a younger angrite (Angra dos Reis; 4557.7 Ma). For D'Orbigny and SAH 99555, we found that the natural remanence (NRM) demagnetizes at much lower temperatures than lab-applied thermoremanence (TRM), indicating that their NRMs are dominantly overprints from the Earth's field and hand magnets. In contrast, the NRM of Angra dos Reis behaves similarly to a TRM, confirming its thermal origin. We estimate the paleointensities to be < 0.2 µT for D'Orbigny and SAH 99555 and ~10 µT for Angra dos Reis. This indicates

  4. The small-scale turbulent dynamo in smoothed particle magnetohydrodynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tricco, T. S.; Price, D. J.; Federrath, C.

    2016-05-01

    Supersonic turbulence is believed to be at the heart of star formation. We have performed smoothed particle magnetohydrodynamics (SPMHD) simulations of the small- scale dynamo amplification of magnetic fields in supersonic turbulence. The calculations use isothermal gas driven at rms velocity of Mach 10 so that conditions are representative of starforming molecular clouds in the Milky Way. The growth of magnetic energy is followed for 10 orders in magnitude until it reaches saturation, a few percent of the kinetic energy. The results of our dynamo calculations are compared with results from grid-based methods, finding excellent agreement on their statistics and their qualitative behaviour. The simulations utilise the latest algorithmic developments we have developed, in particular, a new divergence cleaning approach to maintain the solenoidal constraint on the magnetic field and a method to reduce the numerical dissipation of the magnetic shock capturing scheme. We demonstrate that our divergence cleaning method may be used to achieve ∇ • B = 0 to machine precision, albeit at significant computational expense.

  5. Faraday's first dynamo: A retrospective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Glenn S.

    2013-12-01

    In the early 1830s, Michael Faraday performed his seminal experimental research on electromagnetic induction, in which he created the first electric dynamo—a machine for continuously converting rotational mechanical energy into electrical energy. His machine was a conducting disc, rotating between the poles of a permanent magnet, with the voltage/current obtained from brushes contacting the disc. In his first dynamo, the magnetic field was asymmetric with respect to the axis of the disc. This is to be contrasted with some of his later symmetric designs, which are the ones almost invariably discussed in textbooks on electromagnetism. In this paper, a theoretical analysis is developed for Faraday's first dynamo. From this analysis, the eddy currents in the disc and the open-circuit voltage for arbitrary positioning of the brushes are determined. The approximate analysis is verified by comparing theoretical results with measurements made on an experimental recreation of the dynamo. Quantitative results from the analysis are used to elucidate Faraday's qualitative observations, from which he learned so much about electromagnetic induction. For the asymmetric design, the eddy currents in the disc dissipate energy that makes the dynamo inefficient, prohibiting its use as a practical generator of electric power. Faraday's experiments with his first dynamo provided valuable insight into electromagnetic induction, and this insight was quickly used by others to design practical generators.

  6. The Global Solar Dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cameron, R. H.; Dikpati, M.; Brandenburg, A.

    2017-09-01

    A brief summary of the various observations and constraints that underlie solar dynamo research are presented. The arguments that indicate that the solar dynamo is an alpha-omega dynamo of the Babcock-Leighton type are then shortly reviewed. The main open questions that remain are concerned with the subsurface dynamics, including why sunspots emerge at preferred latitudes as seen in the familiar butterfly wings, why the cycle is about 11 years long, and why the sunspot groups emerge tilted with respect to the equator (Joy's law). Next, we turn to magnetic helicity, whose conservation property has been identified with the decline of large-scale magnetic fields found in direct numerical simulations at large magnetic Reynolds numbers. However, magnetic helicity fluxes through the solar surface can alleviate this problem and connect theory with observations, as will be discussed.

  7. Reconnecting flux-rope dynamo.

    PubMed

    Baggaley, Andrew W; Barenghi, Carlo F; Shukurov, Anvar; Subramanian, Kandaswamy

    2009-11-01

    We develop a model of the fluctuation dynamo in which the magnetic field is confined to thin flux ropes advected by a multiscale model of turbulence. Magnetic dissipation occurs only via reconnection of the flux ropes. This model can be viewed as an implementation of the asymptotic limit R_{m}-->infinity for a continuous magnetic field, where magnetic dissipation is strongly localized to small regions of strong-field gradients. We investigate the kinetic-energy release into heat mediated by the dynamo action, both in our model and by solving the induction equation with the same flow. We find that a flux-rope dynamo is an order of magnitude more efficient at converting mechanical energy into heat. The probability density of the magnetic energy release in reconnections has a power-law form with the slope -3 , consistent with the solar corona heating by nanoflares.

  8. A potential thermal dynamo and its astrophysical applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lingam, Manasvi, E-mail: mlingam@princeton.edu; Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544; Mahajan, Swadesh M., E-mail: mahajan@mail.utexas.edu

    2016-05-15

    It is shown that thermal turbulence, not unlike the standard kinetic and magnetic turbulence, can be an effective driver of a mean-field dynamo. In simple models, such as hydrodynamics and magnetohydrodynamics, both vorticity and induction equations can have strong thermal drives that resemble the α and γ effects in conventional dynamo theories; the thermal drives are likely to be dominant in systems that are endowed with subsonic, low-β turbulence. A pure thermal dynamo is quite different from the conventional dynamo in which the same kinetic/magnetic mix in the ambient turbulence can yield a different ratio of macroscopic magnetic/vortical fields. Themore » possible implications of the similarities and differences between the thermal and non-thermal dynamos are discussed. The thermal dynamo is shown to be highly important in the stellar and planetary context, and yields results broadly consistent with other theoretical and experimental approaches.« less

  9. Waldmeier's Rules in the Solar and Stellar Dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pipin, Valery; Kosovichev, Alexander

    2015-08-01

    The Waldmeier's rules [1] establish important empirical relations between the general parameters of magnetic cycles (such as the amplitude, period, growth rate and time profile) on the Sun and solar-type stars [2]. Variations of the magnetic cycle parameters depend on properties of the global dynamo processes operating in the stellar convection zones. We employ nonlinear mean-field axisymmetric dynamo models [3] and calculate of the magnetic cycle parameters, such as the dynamo cycle period, total magnetic and Poynting fluxes for the Sun and solar-type stars with rotational periods from 15 to 30 days. We consider two types of the dynamo models: 1) distributed (D-type) models employing the standard α - effect distributed in the whole convection zone, and 2) Babcock-Leighton (BL-type) models with a non-local α - effect. The dynamo models take into account the principal mechanisms of the nonlinear dynamo generation and saturation, including the magnetic helicity conservation, magnetic buoyancy effects, and the feedback on the angular momentum balance inside the convection zones. Both types of models show that the dynamo generated magnetic flux increases with the increase of the rotation rate. This corresponds to stronger brightness variations. The distributed dynamo model reproduces the observed dependence of the cycle period on the rotation rate for the Sun analogs better than the BL-type model. For the solar-type stars rotating more rapidly than the Sun we find dynamo regimes with multiple periods. Such stars with multiple cycles form a separate branch in the variability-rotation diagram.1. Waldmeier, M., Prognose für das nächste Sonnenfleckenmaximum, 1936, Astron. Nachrichten, 259,262. Soon,W.H., Baliunas,S.L., Zhang,Q.,An interpretation of cycle periods of stellar chromospheric activity, 1993, ApJ, 414,333. Pipin,V.V., Dependence of magnetic cycle parameters on period of rotation in nonlinear solar-type dynamos, 2015, astro-ph: 14125284

  10. Convection and Dynamo Action in Ice Giant Dynamo Models with Electrical Conductivity Stratification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soderlund, K. M.; Featherstone, N. A.; Heimpel, M. H.; Aurnou, J. M.

    2017-12-01

    Uranus and Neptune are relatively unexplored, yet critical for understanding the physical and chemical processes that control the behavior and evolution of giant planets. Because their multipolar magnetic fields, three-jet zonal winds, and extreme energy balances are distinct from other planets in our Solar System, the ice giants provide a unique opportunity to test hypotheses for internal dynamics and magnetic field generation. While it is generally agreed that dynamo action in the ionic ocean generates their magnetic fields, the mechanisms that control the morphology, strength, and evolution of the dynamos - which are likely distinct from those in the gas giants and terrestrial planets - are not well understood. We hypothesize that the dynamos and zonal winds are dynamically coupled and argue that their characteristics are a consequence of quasi-three-dimensional turbulence in their interiors. Here, we will present new dynamo simulations with an inner electrically conducting region and outer electrically insulating layer to self-consistently couple the ionic oceans and molecular envelopes of these planets. For each simulation, the magnetic field morphology and amplitude, zonal flow profile, and internal heat flux pattern will be compared against corresponding observations of Uranus and Neptune. We will also highlight how these simulations will both contribute to and benefit from a future ice giant mission.

  11. The nuclear dynamo; Can a nuclear tornado annihilate nations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McNally, J.R. Jr.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports on the development of the hypothesis of a nuclear dynamo for a controlled nuclear fusion reactor. This dynamo hypothesis suggests properties for a nuclear tornado that could annihilate nations if accidentally triggered by a single high yield to weight nuclear weapon detonation. The formerly classified reports on ignition of the atmosphere, the properties of a nuclear dynamo, methods to achieve a nuclear dynamo in the laboratory, and the analogy of a nuclear dynamo to a nuclear tornado are discussed. An unclassified international study of this question is urged.

  12. Geophysics: Timing of the Martian dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schubert, G.; Russell, C. T.; Moore, W. B.

    2000-12-01

    On Mars, the strong magnetization in the highland crust of the southern hemisphere and the absence of magnetic anomalies at the Hellas and Argyre impact basins have been taken as signs that the core dynamo that once drove the planet's magnetic field turned off more than 4 billion years (Gyr) ago. Here, we argue instead that the Martian dynamo turned on less than 4 Gyr ago and turned off at an unknown time since then. High spatial resolution magnetometry in both Martian hemispheres is needed to reveal the true history of the Martian dynamo.

  13. Transition from large-scale to small-scale dynamo.

    PubMed

    Ponty, Y; Plunian, F

    2011-04-15

    The dynamo equations are solved numerically with a helical forcing corresponding to the Roberts flow. In the fully turbulent regime the flow behaves as a Roberts flow on long time scales, plus turbulent fluctuations at short time scales. The dynamo onset is controlled by the long time scales of the flow, in agreement with the former Karlsruhe experimental results. The dynamo mechanism is governed by a generalized α effect, which includes both the usual α effect and turbulent diffusion, plus all higher order effects. Beyond the onset we find that this generalized α effect scales as O(Rm(-1)), suggesting the takeover of small-scale dynamo action. This is confirmed by simulations in which dynamo occurs even if the large-scale field is artificially suppressed.

  14. Neutron star dynamos and the origins of pulsar magnetism

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, Christopher; Duncan, Robert C.

    1993-01-01

    Neutron star convection is a transient phenomenon and has an extremely high magnetic Reynolds number. In this sense, a neutron star dynamo is the quintessential fast dynamo. The convective motions are only mildly turbulent on scales larger than the approximately 100 cm neutrino mean free path, but the turbulence is well developed on smaller scales. Several fundamental issues in the theory of fast dynamos are raised in the study of a neutron star dynamo, in particular the possibility of dynamo action in mirror-symmetric turbulence. It is argued that in any high magnetic Reynolds number dynamo, most of the magnetic energy becomes concentrated in thin flux ropes when the field pressure exceeds the turbulent pressure at the smallest scale of turbulence. In addition, the possibilities for dynamo action during the various (pre-collapse) stages of convective motion that occur in the evolution of a massive star are examined, and the properties of white dwarf and neutron star progenitors are contrasted.

  15. Strong-field dynamo action in rapidly rotating convection with no inertia.

    PubMed

    Hughes, David W; Cattaneo, Fausto

    2016-06-01

    The earth's magnetic field is generated by dynamo action driven by convection in the outer core. For numerical reasons, inertial and viscous forces play an important role in geodynamo models; however, the primary dynamical balance in the earth's core is believed to be between buoyancy, Coriolis, and magnetic forces. The hope has been that by setting the Ekman number to be as small as computationally feasible, an asymptotic regime would be reached in which the correct force balance is achieved. However, recent analyses of geodynamo models suggest that the desired balance has still not yet been attained. Here we adopt a complementary approach consisting of a model of rapidly rotating convection in which inertial forces are neglected from the outset. Within this framework we are able to construct a branch of solutions in which the dynamo generates a strong magnetic field that satisfies the expected force balance. The resulting strongly magnetized convection is dramatically different from the corresponding solutions in which the field is weak.

  16. Simulations of a beam-driven plasma antenna in the regime of plasma transparency

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Timofeev, I. V.; Berendeev, E. A.; Dudnikova, G. I.

    2017-09-01

    In this paper, the theoretically predicted possibility to increase the efficiency of electromagnetic radiation generated by a thin beam-plasma system in the regime of oblique emission, when a plasma column becomes transparent to radiation near the plasma frequency, is investigated using particle-in-cell simulations. If a finite-size plasma column has a longitudinal density modulation, such a system is able to radiate electromagnetic waves as a dipole antenna. This radiation mechanism is based on the conversion of an electron beam-driven potential plasma wave on the periodic perturbation of plasma density. In this case, the frequency of radiated waves appears to be slightly lower than the plasma frequency. That is why their fields enable the penetration into the plasma only to the skin-depth. This case is realized when the period of density modulation coincides with the wavelength of the most unstable beam-driven mode, and the produced radiation escapes from the plasma in the purely transverse direction. In the recent theoretical paper [I. V. Timofeev et al. Phys. Plasmas 23, 083119 (2016)], however, it has been found that the magnetized plasma can be transparent to this radiation at certain emission angles. It means that the beam-to-radiation power conversion can be highly efficient even in a relatively thick plasma since not only boundary layers but also the whole plasma volume can be involved in the generation of electromagnetic waves. Simulations of steady-state beam injection into a pre-modulated plasma channel confirm the existence of this effect and show limits of validity for the simplified theoretical model.

  17. Some consequences of shear on galactic dynamos with helicity fluxes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Hongzhe; Blackman, Eric G.

    2017-08-01

    Galactic dynamo models sustained by supernova (SN) driven turbulence and differential rotation have revealed that the sustenance of large-scale fields requires a flux of small-scale magnetic helicity to be viable. Here we generalize a minimalist analytic version of such galactic dynamos to explore some heretofore unincluded contributions from shear on the total turbulent energy and turbulent correlation time, with the helicity fluxes maintained by either winds, diffusion or magnetic buoyancy. We construct an analytic framework for modelling the turbulent energy and correlation time as a function of SN rate and shear. We compare our prescription with previous approaches that include only rotation. The solutions depend separately on the rotation period and the eddy turnover time and not just on their ratio (the Rossby number). We consider models in which these two time-scales are allowed to be independent and also a case in which they are mutually dependent on radius when a radial-dependent SN rate model is invoked. For the case of a fixed rotation period (or a fixed radius), we show that the influence of shear is dramatic for low Rossby numbers, reducing the correlation time of the turbulence, which, in turn, strongly reduces the saturation value of the dynamo compared to the case when the shear is ignored. We also show that even in the absence of winds or diffusive fluxes, magnetic buoyancy may be able to sustain sufficient helicity fluxes to avoid quenching.

  18. On large-scale dynamo action at high magnetic Reynolds number

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cattaneo, F.; Tobias, S. M., E-mail: smt@maths.leeds.ac.uk

    2014-07-01

    We consider the generation of magnetic activity—dynamo waves—in the astrophysical limit of very large magnetic Reynolds number. We consider kinematic dynamo action for a system consisting of helical flow and large-scale shear. We demonstrate that large-scale dynamo waves persist at high Rm if the helical flow is characterized by a narrow band of spatial scales and the shear is large enough. However, for a wide band of scales the dynamo becomes small scale with a further increase of Rm, with dynamo waves re-emerging only if the shear is then increased. We show that at high Rm, the key effect ofmore » the shear is to suppress small-scale dynamo action, allowing large-scale dynamo action to be observed. We conjecture that this supports a general 'suppression principle'—large-scale dynamo action can only be observed if there is a mechanism that suppresses the small-scale fluctuations.« less

  19. Paleomagnetic record of mare basalt 10017: A lunar core dynamo at 3.6 Ga?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suavet, C.; Weiss, B. P.; Fuller, M.; Gattacceca, J.; Grove, T. L.; Shuster, D. L.

    2011-12-01

    core dynamo well after thermal convection of the liquid core could have sustained an Earth-like lunar dynamo, thereby supporting non-standard dynamo scenarios such as a mechanical-stirring driven dynamo that could have been triggered by lunar librations from Earth tides or by impacts.

  20. The Hottest Hot Jupiters May Host Atmospheric Dynamos

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rogers, T. M.; McElwaine, J. N.

    2017-06-01

    Hot Jupiters have proven themselves to be a rich class of exoplanets that test our theories of planetary evolution and atmospheric dynamics under extreme conditions. Here, we present three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations and analytic results that demonstrate that a dynamo can be maintained in the thin, stably stratified atmosphere of a hot Jupiter, independent of the presumed deep-seated dynamo. This dynamo is maintained by conductivity variations arising from strong asymmetric heating from the planets’ host star. The presence of a dynamo significantly increases the surface magnetic field strength and alters the overall planetary magnetic field geometry, possibly affecting star–planet magnetic interactions.

  1. Bistability and chaos in the Taylor-Green dynamo.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Rakesh K; Verma, Mahendra K; Wahi, Pankaj

    2012-03-01

    Using direct numerical simulations, we study dynamo action under Taylor-Green forcing for a magnetic Prandtl number of 0.5. We observe bistability with weak- and strong-magnetic-field branches. Both the dynamo branches undergo subcritical dynamo transition. We also observe a host of dynamo states including constant, periodic, quasiperiodic, and chaotic magnetic fields. One of the chaotic states originates through a quasiperiodic route with phase locking, while the other chaotic attractor appears to follow the Newhouse-Ruelle-Takens route to chaos. We also observe intermittent transitions between quasiperiodic and chaotic states for a given Taylor-Green forcing.

  2. Magnetic flux concentrations from dynamo-generated fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jabbari, S.; Brandenburg, A.; Losada, I. R.; Kleeorin, N.; Rogachevskii, I.

    2014-08-01

    Context. The mean-field theory of magnetized stellar convection gives rise to two distinct instabilities: the large-scale dynamo instability, operating in the bulk of the convection zone and a negative effective magnetic pressure instability (NEMPI) operating in the strongly stratified surface layers. The latter might be important in connection with magnetic spot formation. However, as follows from theoretical analysis, the growth rate of NEMPI is suppressed with increasing rotation rates. On the other hand, recent direct numerical simulations (DNS) have shown a subsequent increase in the growth rate. Aims: We examine quantitatively whether this increase in the growth rate of NEMPI can be explained by an α2 mean-field dynamo, and whether both NEMPI and the dynamo instability can operate at the same time. Methods: We use both DNS and mean-field simulations (MFS) to solve the underlying equations numerically either with or without an imposed horizontal field. We use the test-field method to compute relevant dynamo coefficients. Results: DNS show that magnetic flux concentrations are still possible up to rotation rates above which the large-scale dynamo effect produces mean magnetic fields. The resulting DNS growth rates are quantitatively reproduced with MFS. As expected for weak or vanishing rotation, the growth rate of NEMPI increases with increasing gravity, but there is a correction term for strong gravity and large turbulent magnetic diffusivity. Conclusions: Magnetic flux concentrations are still possible for rotation rates above which dynamo action takes over. For the solar rotation rate, the corresponding turbulent turnover time is about 5 h, with dynamo action commencing in the layers beneath.

  3. Statistical simulation of the magnetorotational dynamo.

    PubMed

    Squire, J; Bhattacharjee, A

    2015-02-27

    Turbulence and dynamo induced by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) are analyzed using quasilinear statistical simulation methods. It is found that homogenous turbulence is unstable to a large-scale dynamo instability, which saturates to an inhomogenous equilibrium with a strong dependence on the magnetic Prandtl number (Pm). Despite its enormously reduced nonlinearity, the dependence of the angular momentum transport on Pm in the quasilinear model is qualitatively similar to that of nonlinear MRI turbulence. This demonstrates the importance of the large-scale dynamo and suggests how dramatically simplified models may be used to gain insight into the astrophysically relevant regimes of very low or high Pm.

  4. The solar dynamo and prediction of sunspot cycles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dikpati, Mausumi

    2012-07-01

    Much progress has been made in understanding the solar dynamo since Parker first developed the concepts of dynamo waves and magnetic buoyancy around 1955, and the German school first formulated the solar dynamo using the mean-field formalism. The essential ingredients of these mean-field dynamos are turbulent magnetic diffusivity, a source of lifting of flux, or 'alpha-effect', and differential rotation. With the advent of helioseismic and other observations at the Sun's photosphere and interior, as well as theoretical understanding of solar interior dynamics, solar dynamo models have evolved both in the realm of mean-field and beyond mean-field models. After briefly discussing the status of these models, I will focus on a class of mean-field model, called flux-transport dynamos, which include meridional circulation as an essential additional ingredient. Flux-transport dynamos have been successful in simulating many global solar cycle features, and have reached the stage that they can be used for making solar cycle predictions. Meridional circulation works in these models like a conveyor-belt, carrying a memory of the magnetic fields from 5 to 20 years back in past. The lower is the magnetic diffusivity, the longer is the model's memory. In the terrestrial system, the great-ocean conveyor-belt in oceanic models and Hadley, polar and Ferrel circulation cells in the troposphere, carry signatures from the past climatological events and influence the determination of future events. Analogously, the memory provided by the Sun's meridional circulation creates the potential for flux-transport dynamos to predict future solar cycle properties. Various groups in the world have built flux-transport dynamo-based predictive tools, which nudge the Sun's surface magnetic data and integrated forward in time to forecast the amplitude of the currently ascending cycle 24. Due to different initial conditions and different choices of unknown model-ingredients, predictions can vary; so

  5. BRIEF COMMUNICATION: On the drift kinetic equation driven by plasma flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaing, K. C.

    2010-07-01

    A drift kinetic equation that is driven by plasma flows has previously been derived by Shaing and Spong 1990 (Phys. Fluids B 2 1190). The terms that are driven by particle speed that is parallel to the magnetic field B have been neglected. Here, such terms are discussed to examine their importance to the equation and to show that these terms do not contribute to the calculations of plasma viscosity in large aspect ratio toroidal plasmas, e.g. tokamaks and stellarators.

  6. A two-billion-year history for the lunar dynamo.

    PubMed

    Tikoo, Sonia M; Weiss, Benjamin P; Shuster, David L; Suavet, Clément; Wang, Huapei; Grove, Timothy L

    2017-08-01

    Magnetic studies of lunar rocks indicate that the Moon generated a core dynamo with surface field intensities of ~20 to 110 μT between at least 4.25 and 3.56 billion years ago (Ga). The field subsequently declined to <~4 μT by 3.19 Ga, but it has been unclear whether the dynamo had terminated by this time or just greatly weakened in intensity. We present analyses that demonstrate that the melt glass matrix of a young regolith breccia was magnetized in a ~5 ± 2 μT dynamo field at ~1 to ~2.5 Ga. These data extend the known lifetime of the lunar dynamo by at least 1 billion years. Such a protracted history requires an extraordinarily long-lived power source like core crystallization or precession. No single dynamo mechanism proposed thus far can explain the strong fields inferred for the period before 3.56 Ga while also allowing the dynamo to persist in such a weakened state beyond ~2.5 Ga. Therefore, our results suggest that the dynamo was powered by at least two distinct mechanisms operating during early and late lunar history.

  7. A two-billion-year history for the lunar dynamo

    PubMed Central

    Tikoo, Sonia M.; Weiss, Benjamin P.; Shuster, David L.; Suavet, Clément; Wang, Huapei; Grove, Timothy L.

    2017-01-01

    Magnetic studies of lunar rocks indicate that the Moon generated a core dynamo with surface field intensities of ~20 to 110 μT between at least 4.25 and 3.56 billion years ago (Ga). The field subsequently declined to <~4 μT by 3.19 Ga, but it has been unclear whether the dynamo had terminated by this time or just greatly weakened in intensity. We present analyses that demonstrate that the melt glass matrix of a young regolith breccia was magnetized in a ~5 ± 2 μT dynamo field at ~1 to ~2.5 Ga. These data extend the known lifetime of the lunar dynamo by at least 1 billion years. Such a protracted history requires an extraordinarily long-lived power source like core crystallization or precession. No single dynamo mechanism proposed thus far can explain the strong fields inferred for the period before 3.56 Ga while also allowing the dynamo to persist in such a weakened state beyond ~2.5 Ga. Therefore, our results suggest that the dynamo was powered by at least two distinct mechanisms operating during early and late lunar history. PMID:28808679

  8. Study of Plasma Liner Driven Magnetized Target Fusion Via Advanced Simulations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Samulyak, Roman V.; Brookhaven National Lab.; Parks, Paul

    The feasibility of the plasma liner driven Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) via terascale numerical simulations will be assessed. In the MTF concept, a plasma liner, formed by merging of a number (60 or more) of radial, highly supersonic plasma jets, implodes on the target in the form of two compact plasma toroids, and compresses it to conditions of the fusion ignition. By avoiding major difficulties associated with both the traditional laser driven inertial confinement fusion and solid liner driven MTF, the plasma liner driven MTF potentially provides a low-cost and fast R&D path towards the demonstration of practical fusion energy.more » High fidelity numerical simulations of full nonlinear models associated with the plasma liner MTF using state-of-art numerical algorithms and terascale computing are necessary in order to resolve uncertainties and provide guidance for future experiments. At Stony Brook University, we have developed unique computational capabilities that ideally suite the MTF problem. The FronTier code, developed in collaboration with BNL and LANL under DOE funding including SciDAC for the simulation of 3D multi-material hydro and MHD flows, has beenbenchmarked and used for fundamental and engineering problems in energy science applications. We have performed 3D simulations of converging supersonic plasma jets, their merger and the formation of the plasma liner, and a study of the corresponding oblique shock problem. We have studied the implosion of the plasma liner on the magnetized plasma target by resolving Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in 2D and 3D and other relevant physics and estimate thermodynamic conditions of the target at the moment of maximum compression and the hydrodynamic efficiency of the method.« less

  9. Magnetic dynamo action at low magnetic Prandtl numbers.

    PubMed

    Malyshkin, Leonid M; Boldyrev, Stanislav

    2010-11-19

    Amplification of magnetic field due to kinematic turbulent dynamo action is studied in the regime of small magnetic Prandtl numbers. Such a regime is relevant for planets and stars interiors, as well as for liquid-metal laboratory experiments. A comprehensive analysis based on the Kazantsev-Kraichnan model is reported, which establishes the dynamo threshold and the dynamo growth rates for varying kinetic helicity of turbulent fluctuations. It is proposed that in contrast with the case of large magnetic Prandtl numbers, the kinematic dynamo action at small magnetic Prandtl numbers is significantly affected by kinetic helicity, and it can be made quite efficient with an appropriate choice of the helicity spectrum.

  10. Integral equation approach to time-dependent kinematic dynamos in finite domains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Mingtian; Stefani, Frank; Gerbeth, Gunter

    2004-11-01

    The homogeneous dynamo effect is at the root of cosmic magnetic field generation. With only a very few exceptions, the numerical treatment of homogeneous dynamos is carried out in the framework of the differential equation approach. The present paper tries to facilitate the use of integral equations in dynamo research. Apart from the pedagogical value to illustrate dynamo action within the well-known picture of the Biot-Savart law, the integral equation approach has a number of practical advantages. The first advantage is its proven numerical robustness and stability. The second and perhaps most important advantage is its applicability to dynamos in arbitrary geometries. The third advantage is its intimate connection to inverse problems relevant not only for dynamos but also for technical applications of magnetohydrodynamics. The paper provides the first general formulation and application of the integral equation approach to time-dependent kinematic dynamos, with stationary dynamo sources, in finite domains. The time dependence is restricted to the magnetic field, whereas the velocity or corresponding mean-field sources of dynamo action are supposed to be stationary. For the spherically symmetric α2 dynamo model it is shown how the general formulation is reduced to a coupled system of two radial integral equations for the defining scalars of the poloidal and toroidal field components. The integral equation formulation for spherical dynamos with general stationary velocity fields is also derived. Two numerical examples—the α2 dynamo model with radially varying α and the Bullard-Gellman model—illustrate the equivalence of the approach with the usual differential equation method. The main advantage of the method is exemplified by the treatment of an α2 dynamo in rectangular domains.

  11. Predictability and Coupled Dynamics of MJO During DYNAMO

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-30

    1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Predictability and Coupled Dynamics of MJO During DYNAMO ... DYNAMO time period. APPROACH We are working as a team to study MJO dynamics and predictability using several models as team members of the ONR DRI...associated with the DYNAMO experiment. This is a fundamentally collaborative proposal that involves close collaboration with Dr. Hyodae Seo of the

  12. On Magnetic Dynamos in Thin Accretion Disks around Compact and Young Stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, T. F.

    1993-01-01

    A variety of geometrically thin accretion disks commonly associated with such astronomical objects as X-ray binaries, cataclysmic variables, and protostars are likely to be seats of MHD dynamo actions. Thin disk geometry and the particular physical environment make accretion disk dynamos different from stellar, planetary, or even galactic dynamos. We discuss those particular features of disk dynamos with emphasis on the difference between protoplanetary disk dynamos and those associated with compact stars. We then describe normal mode solutions for thin disk dynamos and discuss implications for the dynamical behavior of dynamo-magnetized accretion disks.

  13. Predictability and Coupled Dynamics of MJO During DYNAMO

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-30

    1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Predictability and Coupled Dynamics of MJO During DYNAMO ...Model (LIM) for MJO predictions and apply it in retrospective cross-validated forecast mode to the DYNAMO time period. APPROACH We are working as...a team to study MJO dynamics and predictability using several models as team members of the ONR DRI associated with the DYNAMO experiment. This is a

  14. Nonlinear dynamo action in a precessing cylindrical container.

    PubMed

    Nore, C; Léorat, J; Guermond, J-L; Luddens, F

    2011-07-01

    It is numerically demonstrated by means of a magnetohydrodynamics code that precession can trigger the dynamo effect in a cylindrical container. When the Reynolds number, based on the radius of the cylinder and its angular velocity, increases, the flow, which is initially centrosymmetric, loses its stability and bifurcates to a quasiperiodic motion. This unsteady and asymmetric flow is shown to be capable of sustaining dynamo action in the linear and nonlinear regimes. The magnetic field thus generated is unsteady and quadrupolar. These numerical evidences of dynamo action in a precessing cylindrical container may be useful for an experiment now planned at the Dresden sodium facility for dynamo and thermohydraulic studies in Germany.

  15. Could giant basin-forming impacts have killed Martian dynamo?

    PubMed Central

    Kuang, W; Jiang, W; Roberts, J; Frey, H V

    2014-01-01

    The observed strong remanent crustal magnetization at the surface of Mars suggests an active dynamo in the past and ceased to exist around early to middle Noachian era, estimated by examining remagnetization strengths in extant and buried impact basins. We investigate whether the Martian dynamo could have been killed by these large basin-forming impacts, via numerical simulation of subcritical dynamos with impact-induced thermal heterogeneity across the core-mantle boundary. We find that subcritical dynamos are prone to the impacts centered on locations within 30° of the equator but can easily survive those at higher latitudes. Our results further suggest that magnetic timing places a strong constraint on postimpact polar reorientation, e.g., a minimum 16° polar reorientation is needed if Utopia is the dynamo killer. PMID:26074641

  16. Could Giant Basin-Forming Impacts Have Killed Martian Dynamo?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuang, W.; Jiang, W.; Roberts, J.; Frey, H. V.

    2014-01-01

    The observed strong remanent crustal magnetization at the surface of Mars suggests an active dynamo in the past and ceased to exist around early to middle Noachian era, estimated by examining remagnetization strengths in extant and buried impact basins. We investigate whether the Martian dynamo could have been killed by these large basin-forming impacts, via numerical simulation of subcritical dynamos with impact-induced thermal heterogeneity across the core-mantle boundary. We find that subcritical dynamos are prone to the impacts centered on locations within 30 deg of the equator but can easily survive those at higher latitudes. Our results further suggest that magnetic timing places a strong constraint on postimpact polar reorientation, e.g., a minimum 16 deg polar reorientation is needed if Utopia is the dynamo killer.

  17. Could giant basin-forming impacts have killed Martian dynamo?

    PubMed

    Kuang, W; Jiang, W; Roberts, J; Frey, H V

    2014-11-28

    The observed strong remanent crustal magnetization at the surface of Mars suggests an active dynamo in the past and ceased to exist around early to middle Noachian era, estimated by examining remagnetization strengths in extant and buried impact basins. We investigate whether the Martian dynamo could have been killed by these large basin-forming impacts, via numerical simulation of subcritical dynamos with impact-induced thermal heterogeneity across the core-mantle boundary. We find that subcritical dynamos are prone to the impacts centered on locations within 30° of the equator but can easily survive those at higher latitudes. Our results further suggest that magnetic timing places a strong constraint on postimpact polar reorientation, e.g., a minimum 16° polar reorientation is needed if Utopia is the dynamo killer.

  18. Statistical dynamo theory: Mode excitation.

    PubMed

    Hoyng, P

    2009-04-01

    We compute statistical properties of the lowest-order multipole coefficients of the magnetic field generated by a dynamo of arbitrary shape. To this end we expand the field in a complete biorthogonal set of base functions, viz. B= summation operator_{k}a;{k}(t)b;{k}(r) . The properties of these biorthogonal function sets are treated in detail. We consider a linear problem and the statistical properties of the fluid flow are supposed to be given. The turbulent convection may have an arbitrary distribution of spatial scales. The time evolution of the expansion coefficients a;{k} is governed by a stochastic differential equation from which we infer their averages a;{k} , autocorrelation functions a;{k}(t)a;{k *}(t+tau) , and an equation for the cross correlations a;{k}a;{l *} . The eigenfunctions of the dynamo equation (with eigenvalues lambda_{k} ) turn out to be a preferred set in terms of which our results assume their simplest form. The magnetic field of the dynamo is shown to consist of transiently excited eigenmodes whose frequency and coherence time is given by Ilambda_{k} and -1/Rlambda_{k} , respectively. The relative rms excitation level of the eigenmodes, and hence the distribution of magnetic energy over spatial scales, is determined by linear theory. An expression is derived for |a;{k}|;{2}/|a;{0}|;{2} in case the fundamental mode b;{0} has a dominant amplitude, and we outline how this expression may be evaluated. It is estimated that |a;{k}|;{2}/|a;{0}|;{2} approximately 1/N , where N is the number of convective cells in the dynamo. We show that the old problem of a short correlation time (or first-order smoothing approximation) has been partially eliminated. Finally we prove that for a simple statistically steady dynamo with finite resistivity all eigenvalues obey Rlambda_{k}<0 .

  19. Plasma Radiation and Acceleration Effectiveness of CME-driven Shocks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gopalswamy, N.; Schmidt, J. M.

    2008-05-01

    CME-driven shocks are effective radio radiation generators and accelerators for Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs). We present simulated 3 D time-dependent radio maps of second order plasma radiation generated by CME- driven shocks. The CME with its shock is simulated with the 3 D BATS-R-US CME model developed at the University of Michigan. The radiation is simulated using a kinetic plasma model that includes shock drift acceleration of electrons and stochastic growth theory of Langmuir waves. We find that in a realistic 3 D environment of magnetic field and solar wind outflow of the Sun the CME-driven shock shows a detailed spatial structure of the density, which is responsible for the fine structure of type II radio bursts. We also show realistic 3 D reconstructions of the magnetic cloud field of the CME, which is accelerated outward by magnetic buoyancy forces in the diverging magnetic field of the Sun. The CME-driven shock is reconstructed by tomography using the maximum jump in the gradient of the entropy. In the vicinity of the shock we determine the Alfven speed of the plasma. This speed profile controls how steep the shock can grow and how stable the shock remains while propagating away from the Sun. Only a steep shock can provide for an effective particle acceleration.

  20. Plasma radiation and acceleration effectiveness of CME-driven shocks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, Joachim

    CME-driven shocks are effective radio radiation generators and accelerators for Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs). We present simulated 3 D time-dependent radio maps of second order plasma radiation generated by CME-driven shocks. The CME with its shock is simulated with the 3 D BATS-R-US CME model developed at the University of Michigan. The radiation is simulated using a kinetic plasma model that includes shock drift acceleration of electrons and stochastic growth theory of Langmuir waves. We find that in a realistic 3 D environment of magnetic field and solar wind outflow of the Sun the CME-driven shock shows a detailed spatial structure of the density, which is responsible for the fine structure of type II radio bursts. We also show realistic 3 D reconstructions of the magnetic cloud field of the CME, which is accelerated outward by magnetic buoyancy forces in the diverging magnetic field of the Sun. The CME-driven shock is reconstructed by tomography using the maximum jump in the gradient of the entropy. In the vicinity of the shock we determine the Alfven speed of the plasma. This speed profile controls how steep the shock can grow and how stable the shock remains while propagating away from the Sun. Only a steep shock can provide for an effective particle acceleration.

  1. Dynamo magnetic field modes in thin astrophysical disks - An adiabatic computational approximation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, T. F.; Levy, E. H.

    1991-01-01

    An adiabatic approximation is applied to the calculation of turbulent MHD dynamo magnetic fields in thin disks. The adiabatic method is employed to investigate conditions under which magnetic fields generated by disk dynamos permeate the entire disk or are localized to restricted regions of a disk. Two specific cases of Keplerian disks are considered. In the first, magnetic field diffusion is assumed to be dominated by turbulent mixing leading to a dynamo number independent of distance from the center of the disk. In the second, the dynamo number is allowed to vary with distance from the disk's center. Localization of dynamo magnetic field structures is found to be a general feature of disk dynamos, except in the special case of stationary modes in dynamos with constant dynamo number. The implications for the dynamical behavior of dynamo magnetized accretion disks are discussed and the results of these exploratory calculations are examined in the context of the protosolar nebula and accretion disks around compact objects.

  2. Solar and planetary dynamos: comparison and recent developments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petrovay, K.

    2009-03-01

    While obviously having a common root, solar and planetary dynamo theory have taken increasingly divergent routes in the last two or three decades, and there are probably few experts now who can claim to be equally versed in both. Characteristically, even in the fine and comprehensive book “The magnetic Universe” (Rudiger & Hollerbach 2004), the chapters on planets and on the Sun were written by different authors. Separate reviews written on the two topics include Petrovay (2000), Charbonneau (2005), Choudhuri (2008) on the solar dynamo and Glatzmaier (2002), Stevenson (2003) on the planetary dynamo. In the following I will try to make a systematic comparison between solar and planetary dynamos, presenting analogies and differences, and highlighting some interesting recent results.

  3. Weibel instability mediated collisionless shocks using intense laser-driven plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palaniyappan, Sasikumar; Fiuza, Federico; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald; Ma, Wenjun; Schreiber, Jorg; Raymer, Abel; Fernandez, Juan; Shimada, Tom; Johnson, Randall

    2017-10-01

    The origin of cosmic rays remains a long-standing challenge in astrophysics and continues to fascinate physicists. It is believed that ``collisionless shocks'' - where the particle Coulomb mean free path is much larger that the shock transition - are a dominant source of energetic cosmic rays. These shocks are ubiquitous in astrophysical environments such as gamma-ray bursts, supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebula and coronal mass ejections from the sun. A particular type of electromagnetic plasma instability known as Weibel instability is believed to be the dominant mechanism behind the formation of these collisionless shocks in the cosmos. The understanding of the microphysics behind collisionless shocks and their particle acceleration is tightly related with nonlinear basic plasma processes and remains a grand challenge. In this poster, we will present results from recent experiments at the LANL Trident laser facility studying collisionless shocks using intense ps laser (80J, 650 fs - peak intensity of 1020 W/cm2) driven near-critical plasmas using carbon nanotube foam targets. A second short pulse laser driven protons from few microns thick gold foil is used to radiograph the main laser-driven plasma. Work supported by the LDRD program at LANL.

  4. Axial dipolar dynamo action in the Taylor-Green vortex.

    PubMed

    Krstulovic, Giorgio; Thorner, Gentien; Vest, Julien-Piera; Fauve, Stephan; Brachet, Marc

    2011-12-01

    We present a numerical study of the magnetic field generated by the Taylor-Green vortex. We show that periodic boundary conditions can be used to mimic realistic boundary conditions by prescribing the symmetries of the velocity and magnetic fields. This gives insight into some problems of central interest for dynamos: the possible effect of velocity fluctuations on the dynamo threshold, and the role of boundary conditions on the threshold and on the geometry of the magnetic field generated by dynamo action. In particular, we show that an axial dipolar dynamo similar to the one observed in a recent experiment can be obtained with an appropriate choice of the symmetries of the magnetic field. The nonlinear saturation is studied and a simple model explaining the magnetic Prandtl number dependence of the super- and subcritical nature of the dynamo transition is given.

  5. Dynamo action with wave motion.

    PubMed

    Tilgner, A

    2008-03-28

    It is shown that time dependent velocity fields in a fluid conductor can act as dynamos even when the same velocity fields frozen in at any particular time cannot. This effect is observed in propagating waves in which the time dependence is simply a steady drift of a fixed velocity pattern. The effect contributes to magnetic field generation in numerical models of planetary dynamos and relies on the property that eigenmodes of the induction equation are not all orthogonal to each other.

  6. The Feasibility of Applying AC Driven Low-Temperature Plasma for Multi-Cycle Detonation Initiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Dianfeng

    2016-11-01

    Ignition is a key system in pulse detonation engines (PDE). As advanced ignition methods, nanosecond pulse discharge low-temperature plasma ignition is used in some combustion systems, and continuous alternating current (AC) driven low-temperature plasma using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is used for the combustion assistant. However, continuous AC driven plasmas cannot be used for ignition in pulse detonation engines. In this paper, experimental and numerical studies of pneumatic valve PDE using an AC driven low-temperature plasma igniter were described. The pneumatic valve was jointly designed with the low-temperature plasma igniter, and the numerical simulation of the cold-state flow field in the pneumatic valve showed that a complex flow in the discharge area, along with low speed, was beneficial for successful ignition. In the experiments ethylene was used as the fuel and air as oxidizing agent, ignition by an AC driven low-temperature plasma achieved multi-cycle intermittent detonation combustion on a PDE, the working frequency of the PDE reached 15 Hz and the peak pressure of the detonation wave was approximately 2.0 MPa. The experimental verifications of the feasibility in PDE ignition expanded the application field of AC driven low-temperature plasma. supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51176001)

  7. Saturn Dynamo Model (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glatzmaier, G. A.

    2010-12-01

    There has been considerable interest during the past few years about the banded zonal winds and global magnetic field on Saturn (and Jupiter). Questions regarding the depth to which the intense winds extend below the surface and the role they play in maintaining the dynamo continue to be debated. The types of computer models employed to address these questions fall into two main classes: general circulation models (GCMs) based on hydrostatic shallow-water assumptions from the atmospheric and ocean modeling communities and global non-hydrostatic deep convection models from the geodynamo and solar dynamo communities. The latter class can be further divided into Boussinesq models, which do not account for density stratification, and anelastic models, which do. Recent efforts to convert GCMs to deep circulation anelastic models have succeeded in producing fluid flows similar to those obtained from the original deep convection anelastic models. We describe results from one of the original anelastic convective dynamo simulations and compare them to a recent anelastic dynamo benchmark for giant gas planets. This benchmark is based on a polytropic reference state that spans five density scale heights with a radius and rotation rate similar to those of our solar system gas giants. The resulting magnetic Reynolds number is about 3000. Better spatial resolution will be required to produce more realistic predictions that capture the effects of both the density and electrical conductivity stratifications and include enough of the turbulent kinetic energy spectrum. Important additional physics may also be needed in the models. However, the basic models used in all simulation studies of the global dynamics of giant planets will hopefully first be validated by doing these simpler benchmarks.

  8. Driven phase space vortices in plasmas with nonextensive velocity distribution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trivedi, Pallavi; Ganesh, Rajaraman

    2017-03-01

    The evolution of chirp-driven electrostatic waves in unmagnetized plasmas is numerically investigated by using a one-dimensional (1D) Vlasov-poisson solver with periodic boundary conditions. The initial velocity distribution of the 1D plasma is assumed to be governed by nonextensive q distribution [C. Tsallis, J. Stat. Phys. 52, 479 (1988)]. For an infinitesimal amplitude of an external drive, we investigate the effects of chirp driven dynamics that leads to the formation of giant phase space vortices (PSV) for both Maxwellian (q = 1) and non-Maxwellian ( q ≠ 1 ) plasmas. For non-Maxwellian plasmas, the formation of giant PSV with multiple extrema and phase velocities is shown to be dependent on the strength of "q". Novel features such as "shark"-like and transient "honeycomb"-like structures in phase space are discussed. Wherever relevant, we compare our results with previous work.

  9. Manifestations of dynamo driven large-scale magnetic field in accretion disks of compact objects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chagelishvili, G. D.; Chanishvili, R. G.; Lominadze, J. G.; Sokhadze, Z. A.

    1991-01-01

    A turbulent dynamo nonlinear theory of turbulence was developed that shows that in the compact objects of accretion disks, the generated large-scale magnetic field (when the generation takes place) has a practically toroidal configuration. Its energy density can be much higher than turbulent pulsations energy density, and it becomes comparable with the thermal energy density of the medium. On this basis, the manifestations to which the large-scale magnetic field can lead at the accretion onto black holes and gravimagnetic rotators, respectively, are presented.

  10. Solar Cycle #24 and the Solar Dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schatten, Kenneth; Pesnell, W. Dean

    2007-01-01

    We focus on two solar aspects related to flight dynamics. These are the solar dynamo and long-term solar activity predictions. The nature of the solar dynamo is central to solar activity predictions, and these predictions are important for orbital planning of satellites in low earth orbit (LEO). The reason is that the solar ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral irradiances inflate the upper atmospheric layers of the Earth, forming the thermosphere and exosphere through which these satellites orbit. Concerning the dynamo, we discuss some recent novel approaches towards its understanding. For solar predictions we concentrate on a solar precursor method, in which the Sun's polar field plays a major role in forecasting the next cycle s activity based upon the Babcock-Leighton dynamo. With a current low value for the Sun s polar field, this method predicts that solar cycle #24 will be one of the lowest in recent times, with smoothed F10.7 radio flux values peaking near 130 plus or minus 30 (2 sigma), in the 2013 timeframe. One may have to consider solar activity as far back as the early 20th century to find a cycle of comparable magnitude. Concomitant effects of low solar activity upon satellites in LEO will need to be considered, such as enhancements in orbital debris. Support for our prediction of a low solar cycle #24 is borne out by the lack of new cycle sunspots at least through the first half of 2007. Usually at the present epoch in the solar cycle (approx. 7+ years after the last solar maximum), for a normal size following cycle, new cycle sunspots would be seen. The lack of their appearance at this time is only consistent with a low cycle #24. Polar field observations of a weak magnitude are consistent with unusual structures seen in the Sun s corona. Polar coronal holes are the hallmarks of the Sun's open field structures. At present, it appears that the polar coronal holes are relatively weak, and there have been many equatorial coronal holes

  11. Solar Cycle #24 and the Solar Dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pesnell, W. Dean; Schatten, Kenneth

    2007-01-01

    We focus on two solar aspects related to flight dynamics. These are the solar dynamo and long-term solar activity predictions. The nature of the solar dynamo is central to solar activity predictions, and these predictions are important for orbital planning of satellites in low earth orbit (LEO). The reason is that the solar ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral irradiances inflate the upper atmospheric layers of the Earth, forming the thermosphere and exosphere through which these satellites orbit. Concerning the dynamo, we discuss some recent novel approaches towards its understanding. For solar predictions we concentrate on a solar precursor method, in which the Sun s polar field plays a major role in forecasting the next cycle s activity based upon the Babcock- Leighton dynamo. With a current low value for the Sun s polar field, this method predicts that solar cycle #24 will be one of the lowest in recent times, with smoothed F10.7 radio flux values peaking near 130+ 30 (2 4, in the 2013 timeframe. One may have to consider solar activity as far back as the early 20th century to find a cycle of comparable magnitude. Concomitant effects of low solar activity upon satellites in LEO will need to be considered, such as enhancements in orbital debris. Support for our prediction of a low solar cycle #24 is borne out by the lack of new cycle sunspots at least through the first half of 2007. Usually at the present epoch in the solar cycle (-7+ years after the last solar maximum), for a normal size following cycle, new cycle sunspots would be seen. The lack of their appearance at this time is only consistent with a low cycle #24. Polar field observations of a weak magnitude are consistent with unusual structures seen in the Sun s corona. Polar coronal holes are the hallmarks of the Sun s open field structures. At present, it appears that the polar coronal holes are relatively weak, and there have been many equatorial coronal holes. This appears

  12. A high magnetic Reynolds number dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Perkins, F. W.; Zweibel, E. G.

    1987-01-01

    A boundary-layer solution to a high magnetic Reynolds number R periodic dynamo model shows that: (1) flux expulsion forces the magnetic field into flux sheets; (2) the principal contribution to the alpha effect arises from regions of flow stagnation along a flux sheet; and (3) the alpha effect scales as R exp-1/2. Arguments for these effects persisting in turbulent dynamos are given.

  13. Chaotic flows and fast magnetic dynamos

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Finn, John M.; Ott, Edward

    1988-01-01

    The kinematic dynamo problem is considered in the R(m) approaching infinity limit. It is shown that the magnetic field tends to concentrate on a zero volume fractal set; moreover, it displays arbitrarily fine-scaled oscillations between parallel and antiparallel directions. Consideration is given to the relationship between the dynamo growth rate and quantitative measures of chaos, such as the Liapunov element and topological entropy.

  14. Current driven instabilities of an electromagnetically accelerated plasma

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chouetri, E. Y.; Kelly, A. J.; Jahn, R. G.

    1988-01-01

    A plasma instability that strongly influences the efficiency and lifetime of electromagnetic plasma accelerators was quantitatively measured. Experimental measurements of dispersion relations (wave phase velocities), spatial growth rates, and stability boundaries are reported. The measured critical wave parameters are in excellent agreement with theoretical instability boundary predictions. The instability is current driven and affects a wide spectrum of longitudinal (electrostatic) oscillations. Current driven instabilities, which are intrinsic to the high-current-carrying magnetized plasma of the magnetoplasmadynmic (MPD) accelerator, were investigated with a kinetic theoretical model based on first principles. Analytical limits of the appropriate dispersion relation yield unstable ion acoustic waves for T(i)/T(e) much less than 1 and electron acoustic waves for T(i)/T(e) much greater than 1. The resulting set of nonlinear equations for the case of T(i)/T(e) = 1, of most interest to the MPD thruster Plasma Wave Experiment, was numerically solved to yield a multiparameter set of stability boundaries. Under certain conditions, marginally stable waves traveling almost perpendicular to the magnetic field would travel at a velocity equal to that of the electron current. Such waves were termed current waves. Unstable current waves near the upper stability boundary were observed experimentally and are in accordance with theoretical predictions. This provides unambiguous proof of the existence of such instabilites in electromagnetic plasma accelerators.

  15. Erosion measurement techniques for plasma-driven railgun barrels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jamison, K. A.; Niiler, Andrus

    1987-04-01

    Plasma-driven railguns are now in operation at several locations throughout the world. All share common problems in barrel erosion arising from the fact that the bore surface must contain a high temperature plasma armature which transmits the acceleration force to a projectile. The plasma temperature at the core of the armature is estimated to be 30 000 K or higher. Such conditions are erosive to most materials even when the exposure time is 100 μs or less. We have adapted two accelerator based techniques to aid in the study of this erosion. The first technique involves the collection and analysis of material ablated and left behind by the plasma. This analysis is based on the unfolding of the Rutherford backscattered (RBS) spectra of 1 MeV deuterons incident on residue collected from a railgun bore. The second technique is an erosion measurement involving thin layer activation (TLA) of surfaces. In this process, the copper rail surface is activated by 2.4 MeV protons creating a relatively thin (3 m) layer sparsely seeded with a long lived zinc isotope. Monitoring the decay of the activated sample before and after a firing can detect surface wear of about 0. 1 m. Results from the RBS and TLA experiments on the BRL plasma driven railgun are described.

  16. Generation of dynamo magnetic fields in thin Keplerian disks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, T. F.; Levy, E. H.

    1990-01-01

    The combined action of nonuniform rotation and helical convection in protoplanetary disks, in the Galaxy, or in accretion disks surrounding black holes and other compact objects, enables an alpha-omega dynamo to generate a large-scale magnetic field. In this paper, the properties of such magnetic fields are investigated using a two-dimensional, partially numerical method. The structures of the lowest-order steady state and oscillatory modes are calculated for two kinds of external boundary conditions. A quadruple, steady state, highly localized mode is the most easily excited for low values of the dynamo number. The results indicate that, except under special conditions, disk dynamo modes tend to consist of relatively localized rings structures. For large values of the dynamo number, the magnetic field consists of a number of quasi-independent, spatially localized modes generated in various concentric rings filling the disk inward of a dynamo generation 'front'.

  17. Magnetorotational dynamo action in the shearing box

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walker, Justin; Boldyrev, Stanislav

    2017-09-01

    Magnetic dynamo action caused by the magnetorotational instability is studied in the shearing-box approximation with no imposed net magnetic flux. Consistent with recent studies, the dynamo action is found to be sensitive to the aspect ratio of the box: it is much easier to obtain in tall boxes (stretched in the direction normal to the disc plane) than in long boxes (stretched in the radial direction). Our direct numerical simulations indicate that the dynamo is possible in both cases, given a large enough magnetic Reynolds number. To explain the relatively larger effort required to obtain the dynamo action in a long box, we propose that the turbulent eddies caused by the instability most efficiently fold and mix the magnetic field lines in the radial direction. As a result, in the long box the scale of the generated strong azimuthal (stream-wise directed) magnetic field is always comparable to the scale of the turbulent eddies. In contrast, in the tall box the azimuthal magnetic flux spreads in the vertical direction over a distance exceeding the scale of the turbulent eddies. As a result, different vertical sections of the tall box are permeated by large-scale non-zero azimuthal magnetic fluxes, facilitating the instability. In agreement with this picture, the cases when the dynamo is efficient are characterized by a strong intermittency of the local azimuthal magnetic fluxes.

  18. Numerical simulation of plasma processes driven by transverse ion heating

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Nagendra; Chan, C. B.

    1993-01-01

    The plasma processes driven by transverse ion heating in a diverging flux tube are investigated with numerical simulation. The heating is found to drive a host of plasma processes, in addition to the well-known phenomenon of ion conics. The downward electric field near the reverse shock generates a doublestreaming situation consisting of two upflowing ion populations with different average flow velocities. The electric field in the reverse shock region is modulated by the ion-ion instability driven by the multistreaming ions. The oscillating fields in this region have the possibility of heating electrons. These results from the simulations are compared with results from a previous study based on a hydrodynamical model. Effects of spatial resolutions provided by simulations on the evolution of the plasma are discussed.

  19. Magnetic fields driven by tidal mixing in radiative stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vidal, Jérémie; Cébron, David; Schaeffer, Nathanaël; Hollerbach, Rainer

    2018-04-01

    Stellar magnetism plays an important role in stellar evolution theory. Approximatively 10 per cent of observed main sequence (MS) and pre-main-sequence (PMS) radiative stars exhibit surface magnetic fields above the detection limit, raising the question of their origin. These stars host outer radiative envelopes, which are stably stratified. Therefore, they are assumed to be motionless in standard models of stellar structure and evolution. We focus on rapidly rotating, radiative stars which may be prone to the tidal instability, due to an orbital companion. Using direct numerical simulations in a sphere, we study the interplay between a stable stratification and the tidal instability, and assess its dynamo capability. We show that the tidal instability is triggered regardless of the strength of the stratification (Brunt-Väisälä frequency). Furthermore, the tidal instability can lead to both mixing and self-induced magnetic fields in stably stratified layers (provided that the Brunt-Väisälä frequency does not exceed the stellar spin rate in the simulations too much). The application to stars suggests that the resulting magnetic fields could be observable at the stellar surfaces. Indeed, we expect magnetic field strengths up to several Gauss. Consequently, tidally driven dynamos should be considered as a (complementary) dynamo mechanism, possibly operating in radiative MS and PMS stars hosting orbital companions. In particular, tidally driven dynamos may explain the observed magnetism of tidally deformed and rapidly rotating Vega-like stars.

  20. Evidence for a Second Martian Dynamo from Electron Reflection Magnetometry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lillis, R. J.; Manga, M.; Mitchell, D. L.; Lin, R. P.; Acuna, M. H.

    2005-01-01

    Present-day Mars does not possess an active core dynamo and associated global magnetic field. However, the discovery of intensely magnetized crust in Mars Southern hemisphere implies that a Martian dynamo has existed in the past. Resolving the history of the Martian core dynamo is important for understanding the evolution of the planet's interior. Moreover, because the global magnetic field provided by an active dynamo can shield the atmosphere from erosion by the solar wind, it may have influenced past Martian climate. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

  1. Driven waves in a two-fluid plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roberge, W. G.; Ciolek, Glenn E.

    2007-12-01

    We study the physics of wave propagation in a weakly ionized plasma, as it applies to the formation of multifluid, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) shock waves. We model the plasma as separate charged and neutral fluids which are coupled by ion-neutral friction. At times much less than the ion-neutral drag time, the fluids are decoupled and so evolve independently. At later times, the evolution is determined by the large inertial mismatch between the charged and neutral particles. The neutral flow continues to evolve independently; the charged flow is driven by and slaved to the neutral flow by friction. We calculate this driven flow analytically by considering the special but realistic case where the charged fluid obeys linearized equations of motion. We carry out an extensive analysis of linear, driven, MHD waves. The physics of driven MHD waves is embodied in certain Green functions which describe wave propagation on short time-scales, ambipolar diffusion on long time-scales and transitional behaviour at intermediate times. By way of illustration, we give an approximate solution for the formation of a multifluid shock during the collision of two identical interstellar clouds. The collision produces forward and reverse J shocks in the neutral fluid and a transient in the charged fluid. The latter rapidly evolves into a pair of magnetic precursors on the J shocks, wherein the ions undergo force-free motion and the magnetic field grows monotonically with time. The flow appears to be self-similar at the time when linear analysis ceases to be valid.

  2. Magnetic dynamos in accreting planetary bodies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golabek, G.; Labrosse, S.; Gerya, T.; Morishima, R.; Tackley, P. J.

    2012-12-01

    Laboratory measurements revealed ancient remanent magnetization in meteorites [1] indicating the activity of magnetic dynamos in the corresponding meteorite parent body. To study under which circumstances dynamo activity is possible, we use a new methodology to simulate the internal evolution of a planetary body during accretion and differentiation. Using the N-body code PKDGRAV [2] we simulate the accretion of planetary embryos from an initial annulus of several thousand planetesimals. The growth history of the largest resulting planetary embryo is used as an input for the thermomechanical 2D code I2ELVIS [3]. The thermomechanical model takes recent parametrizations of impact processes [4] and of the magnetic dynamo [5] into account. It was pointed out that impacts can not only deposit heat deep into the target body, which is later buried by ejecta of further impacts [6], but also that impacts expose in the crater region originally deep-seated layers, thus cooling the interior [7]. This combination of impact effects becomes even more important when we consider that planetesimals of all masses contribute to planetary accretion. This leads occasionally to collisions between bodies with large ratios between impactor and target mass. Thus, all these processes can be expected to have a profound effect on the thermal evolution during the epoch of planetary accretion and may have implications for the magnetic dynamo activity. Results show that late-formed planetesimals do not experience silicate melting and avoid thermal alteration, whereas in early-formed bodies accretion and iron core growth occur almost simultaneously and a highly variable magnetic dynamo can operate in the interior of these bodies.

  3. Numerical modelling of the Madison Dynamo Experiment.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bayliss, R. A.; Wright, J. C.; Forest, C. B.; O'Connell, R.; Truitt, J. L.

    2000-10-01

    Growth, saturation and turbulent evolution of the Madison dynamo experiment is investigated numerically using a newly developed 3-D pseudo-spectral simulation of the MHD equations; results of the simulations will be compared to the experimental results obtained from the experiment. The code, Dynamo, is in Fortran90 and allows for full evolution of the magnetic and velocity fields. The induction equation governing B and the Navier-Stokes equation governing V are solved. The code uses a spectral representation via spherical harmonic basis functions of the vector fields in longitude and latitude, and finite differences in the radial direction. The magnetic field evolution has been benchmarked against the laminar kinematic dynamo predicted by M.L. Dudley and R.W. James (M.L. Dudley and R.W. James, Time-dependant kinematic dynamos with stationary flows, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 425, p. 407 (1989)). Initial results on magnetic field saturation, generated by the simultaneous evolution of magnetic and velocity fields be presented using a variety of mechanical forcing terms.

  4. Varying the forcing scale in low Prandtl number dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brandenburg, A.; Haugen, N. E. L.; Li, Xiang-Yu; Subramanian, K.

    2018-06-01

    Small-scale dynamos are expected to operate in all astrophysical fluids that are turbulent and electrically conducting, for example the interstellar medium, stellar interiors, and accretion disks, where they may also be affected by or competing with large-scale dynamos. However, the possibility of small-scale dynamos being excited at small and intermediate ratios of viscosity to magnetic diffusivity (the magnetic Prandtl number) has been debated, and the possibility of them depending on the large-scale forcing wavenumber has been raised. Here we show, using four values of the forcing wavenumber, that the small-scale dynamo does not depend on the scale-separation between the size of the simulation domain and the integral scale of the turbulence, i.e., the forcing scale. Moreover, the spectral bottleneck in turbulence, which has been implied as being responsible for raising the excitation conditions of small-scale dynamos, is found to be invariant under changing the forcing wavenumber. However, when forcing at the lowest few wavenumbers, the effective forcing wavenumber that enters in the definition of the magnetic Reynolds number is found to be about twice the minimum wavenumber of the domain. Our work is relevant to future studies of small-scale dynamos, of which several applications are being discussed.

  5. Dynamic Modeling of the Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Truitt, J. L.; Forest, C. B.; Wright, J. C.

    1999-11-01

    This work focuses on a computer simulation of the Magnetohydrodynamic equations applied in the geometry of the Madison Dynamo Experiemnt. An integration code is used to evolve both the magnetic field and the velocity field numerically in spherical coordinates using a pseudo-spectral algorithm. The focus is to realistically model an experiment to be undertaken by the Madison Dynamo Experiment Group. The first flows studied are the well documented ones of Dudley and James. The main goals of the simulation are to observe the dynamo effect with the back-reaction allowed, to observe the equipartition of magnetic and kinetic energy due to theoretically proposed turbulent effects, and to isolate and study the α and β effects.

  6. The aurora and the magnetosphere - The Chapman Memorial Lecture. [dynamo theory development, 1600-present

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Akasofu, S.-I.

    1974-01-01

    Review of recent progress in magnetospheric physics, in particular, in understanding the magnetospheric substorm. It is shown that a number of magnetospheric phenomena can now be understood by viewing the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction as an MHD dynamo; auroral phenomena are powered by the dynamo. Also, magnetospheric responses to variations of the north-south and east-west components of the interplanetary magnetic field have been identified. The magnetospheric substorm is entirely different from the responses of the magnetosphere to the southward component of the interplanetary magnetic field. It may be associated with the formation of a neutral line within the plasma sheet and with an enhanced reconnection along the line. A number of substorm-associated phenomena can be understood by noting that the new neutral line formation is caused by a short-circuiting of a part of the magnetotail current.

  7. Efficiency Measurement Using a Motor-Dynamo Module

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ng, Pun-hon; Wong, Siu-ling; Mak, Se-yuen

    2009-01-01

    In this article, we describe a simple method which can be used to measure the efficiency of a low power dc motor, a motor-converted dynamo and a coupled motor-dynamo module as a function of the speed of rotation. The result can also be used to verify Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction. (Contains 1 table and 8 figures.)

  8. Optimization of the magnetic dynamo.

    PubMed

    Willis, Ashley P

    2012-12-21

    In stars and planets, magnetic fields are believed to originate from the motion of electrically conducting fluids in their interior, through a process known as the dynamo mechanism. In this Letter, an optimization procedure is used to simultaneously address two fundamental questions of dynamo theory: "Which velocity field leads to the most magnetic energy growth?" and "How large does the velocity need to be relative to magnetic diffusion?" In general, this requires optimization over the full space of continuous solenoidal velocity fields possible within the geometry. Here the case of a periodic box is considered. Measuring the strength of the flow with the root-mean-square amplitude, an optimal velocity field is shown to exist, but without limitation on the strain rate, optimization is prone to divergence. Measuring the flow in terms of its associated dissipation leads to the identification of a single optimal at the critical magnetic Reynolds number necessary for a dynamo. This magnetic Reynolds number is found to be only 15% higher than that necessary for transient growth of the magnetic field.

  9. Large-scale dynamo growth rates from numerical simulations and implications for mean-field theories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Kiwan; Blackman, Eric G.; Subramanian, Kandaswamy

    2013-05-01

    Understanding large-scale magnetic field growth in turbulent plasmas in the magnetohydrodynamic limit is a goal of magnetic dynamo theory. In particular, assessing how well large-scale helical field growth and saturation in simulations match those predicted by existing theories is important for progress. Using numerical simulations of isotropically forced turbulence without large-scale shear with its implications, we focus on several additional aspects of this comparison: (1) Leading mean-field dynamo theories which break the field into large and small scales predict that large-scale helical field growth rates are determined by the difference between kinetic helicity and current helicity with no dependence on the nonhelical energy in small-scale magnetic fields. Our simulations show that the growth rate of the large-scale field from fully helical forcing is indeed unaffected by the presence or absence of small-scale magnetic fields amplified in a precursor nonhelical dynamo. However, because the precursor nonhelical dynamo in our simulations produced fields that were strongly subequipartition with respect to the kinetic energy, we cannot yet rule out the potential influence of stronger nonhelical small-scale fields. (2) We have identified two features in our simulations which cannot be explained by the most minimalist versions of two-scale mean-field theory: (i) fully helical small-scale forcing produces significant nonhelical large-scale magnetic energy and (ii) the saturation of the large-scale field growth is time delayed with respect to what minimalist theory predicts. We comment on desirable generalizations to the theory in this context and future desired work.

  10. Large-scale dynamo growth rates from numerical simulations and implications for mean-field theories.

    PubMed

    Park, Kiwan; Blackman, Eric G; Subramanian, Kandaswamy

    2013-05-01

    Understanding large-scale magnetic field growth in turbulent plasmas in the magnetohydrodynamic limit is a goal of magnetic dynamo theory. In particular, assessing how well large-scale helical field growth and saturation in simulations match those predicted by existing theories is important for progress. Using numerical simulations of isotropically forced turbulence without large-scale shear with its implications, we focus on several additional aspects of this comparison: (1) Leading mean-field dynamo theories which break the field into large and small scales predict that large-scale helical field growth rates are determined by the difference between kinetic helicity and current helicity with no dependence on the nonhelical energy in small-scale magnetic fields. Our simulations show that the growth rate of the large-scale field from fully helical forcing is indeed unaffected by the presence or absence of small-scale magnetic fields amplified in a precursor nonhelical dynamo. However, because the precursor nonhelical dynamo in our simulations produced fields that were strongly subequipartition with respect to the kinetic energy, we cannot yet rule out the potential influence of stronger nonhelical small-scale fields. (2) We have identified two features in our simulations which cannot be explained by the most minimalist versions of two-scale mean-field theory: (i) fully helical small-scale forcing produces significant nonhelical large-scale magnetic energy and (ii) the saturation of the large-scale field growth is time delayed with respect to what minimalist theory predicts. We comment on desirable generalizations to the theory in this context and future desired work.

  11. Development of a plasma driven permeation experiment for TPE

    DOE PAGES

    Buchenauer, Dean; Kolasinski, Robert; Shimada, Masa; ...

    2014-04-18

    Experiments on retention of hydrogen isotopes (including tritium) at temperatures less than 800 ?C have been carried out in the Tritium Plasma Experiment (TPE) at Idaho National Laboratory [1,2]. To provide a direct measurement of plasma driven permeation in plasma facing materials at temperatures reaching 1000 ?C, a new TPE membrane holder has been built to hold test specimens (=1 mm in thickness) at high temperature while measuring tritium permeating through the membrane from the plasma facing side. This measurement is accomplished by employing a carrier gas that transports the permeating tritium from the backside of the membrane to ionmore » chambers giving a direct measurement of the plasma driven tritium permeation rate. Isolation of the membrane cooling and sweep gases from TPE’s vacuum chamber has been demonstrated by sealing tests performed up to 1000 ?C of a membrane holder design that provides easy change out of membrane specimens between tests. Simulations of the helium carrier gas which transports tritium to the ion chamber indicate a very small pressure drop (~700 Pa) with good flow uniformity (at 1000 sccm). Thermal transport simulations indicate that temperatures up to 1000 ?C are expected at the highest TPE fluxes.« less

  12. Laser-driven plasma photonic crystals for high-power lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lehmann, G.; Spatschek, K. H.

    2017-05-01

    Laser-driven plasma density gratings in underdense plasma are shown to act as photonic crystals for high power lasers. The gratings are created by counterpropagating laser beams that trap electrons, followed by ballistic ion motion. This leads to strong periodic plasma density modulations with a lifetime on the order of picoseconds. The grating structure is interpreted as a plasma photonic crystal time-dependent property, e.g., the photonic band gap width. In Maxwell-Vlasov and particle-in-cell simulations it is demonstrated that the photonic crystals may act as a frequency filter and mirror for ultra-short high-power laser pulses.

  13. Plasma-driven ultrashort bunch diagnostics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dornmair, I.; Schroeder, C. B.; Floettmann, K.

    2016-06-10

    Ultrashort electron bunches are crucial for an increasing number of applications, however, diagnosing their longitudinal phase space remains a challenge. We propose a new method that harnesses the strong electric fields present in a laser driven plasma wakefield. By transversely displacing driver laser and witness bunch, a streaking field is applied to the bunch. This field maps the time information to a transverse momentum change and, consequently, to a change of transverse position. We illustrate our method with simulations where we achieve a time resolution in the attosecond range.

  14. A two-dimensional kinematic dynamo model of the ionospheric magnetic field at Venus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cravens, T. E.; Wu, D.; Shinagawa, H.

    1990-01-01

    The results of a high-resolution, two-dimensional, time dependent, kinematic dynamo model of the ionospheric magnetic field of Venus are presented. Various one-dimensional models are considered and the two-dimensional model is then detailed. In this model, the two-dimensional magnetic induction equation, the magnetic diffusion-convection equation, is numerically solved using specified plasma velocities. Origins of the vertical velocity profile and of the horizontal velocities are discussed. It is argued that the basic features of the vertical magnetic field profile remain unaltered by horizontal flow effects and also that horizontal plasma flow can strongly affect the magnetic field for altitudes above 300 km.

  15. Magnetic reversals from planetary dynamo waves.

    PubMed

    Sheyko, Andrey; Finlay, Christopher C; Jackson, Andrew

    2016-11-24

    A striking feature of many natural dynamos is their ability to undergo polarity reversals. The best documented example is Earth's magnetic field, which has reversed hundreds of times during its history. The origin of geomagnetic polarity reversals lies in a magnetohydrodynamic process that takes place in Earth's core, but the precise mechanism is debated. The majority of numerical geodynamo simulations that exhibit reversals operate in a regime in which the viscosity of the fluid remains important, and in which the dynamo mechanism primarily involves stretching and twisting of field lines by columnar convection. Here we present an example of another class of reversing-geodynamo model, which operates in a regime of comparatively low viscosity and high magnetic diffusivity. This class does not fit into the paradigm of reversal regimes that are dictated by the value of the local Rossby number (the ratio of advection to Coriolis force). Instead, stretching of the magnetic field by a strong shear in the east-west flow near the imaginary cylinder just touching the inner core and parallel to the axis of rotation is crucial to the reversal mechanism in our models, which involves a process akin to kinematic dynamo waves. Because our results are relevant in a regime of low viscosity and high magnetic diffusivity, and with geophysically appropriate boundary conditions, this form of dynamo wave may also be involved in geomagnetic reversals.

  16. Weibel instability mediated collisionless shocks using intense laser-driven plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palaniyappan, Sasi; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald; Fernandez, Juan; Ma, Wenjun; Schreiber, Jorg; LANL Collaboration; LMU Team

    2016-10-01

    The origin of cosmic rays remains a long-standing challenge in astrophysics and continues to fascinate physicists. It is believed that ``collisionless shocks'' - where the particle Coulomb mean free path is much larger that the shock transition - are a dominant source of energetic cosmic rays. These shocks are ubiquitous in astrophysical environments such as gamma-ray bursts, supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebula and coronal mass ejections from the sun. Several spacecraft observations have revealed acceleration of charged particles, mostly electrons, to very high energies with in the shock front. There is now also clear observational evidence that supernova remnant shocks accelerate both protons and electrons. The understanding of the microphysics behind collisionless shocks and their particle acceleration is tightly related with nonlinear basic plasma processes and remains a grand challenge. In this poster, we will present results from recent experiments at the LANL Trident laser facility studying collisionless shocks using intense ps laser (80J, 650 fs - peak intensity of 1020 W/cm2) driven near-critical plasmas using carbon nanotube foam targets. A second short pulse laser driven protons from few microns thick aluminum foil is used to image the laser-driven plasma.

  17. Generation of dynamo magnetic fields in the primordial solar nebula

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, Tomasz F.

    1992-01-01

    The present treatment of dynamo-generated magnetic fields in the primordial solar nebula proceeds in view of the ability of the combined action of Keplerian rotation and helical convention to generate, via alpha-omega dynamo, large-scale magnetic fields in those parts of the nebula with sufficiently high, gas-and magnetic field coupling electrical conductivity. Nebular gas electrical conductivity and the radial distribution of the local dynamo number are calculated for both a viscous-accretion disk model and the quiescent-minimum mass nebula. It is found that magnetic fields can be easily generated and maintained by alpha-omega dynamos occupying the inner and outer parts of the nebula.

  18. A fully covariant mean-field dynamo closure for numerical 3 + 1 resistive GRMHD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bucciantini, N.; Del Zanna, L.

    2013-01-01

    The powerful high-energy phenomena typically encountered in astrophysics invariably involve physical engines, like neutron stars and black hole accretion discs, characterized by a combination of highly magnetized plasmas, strong gravitational fields and relativistic motions. In recent years, numerical schemes for general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) have been developed to model the multidimensional dynamics of such systems, including the possibility of evolving space-time. Such schemes have been also extended beyond the ideal limit including the effects of resistivity, in an attempt to model dissipative physical processes acting on small scales (subgrid effects) over the global dynamics. Along the same lines, the magnetic field could be amplified by the presence of turbulent dynamo processes, as often invoked to explain the high values of magnetization required in accretion discs and neutron stars. Here we present, for the first time, a further extension to include the possibility of a mean-field dynamo action within the framework of numerical 3 + 1 (resistive) GRMHD. A fully covariant dynamo closure is proposed, in analogy with the classical theory, assuming a simple α-effect in the comoving frame. Its implementation into a finite-difference scheme for GRMHD in dynamical space-times (the x-echo code by Bucciantini & Del Zanna) is described, and a set of numerical test is presented and compared with analytical solutions wherever possible.

  19. Growth rate degeneracies in kinematic dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Favier, B.; Proctor, M. R. E.

    2013-09-01

    We consider the classical problem of kinematic dynamo action in simple steady flows. Due to the adjointness of the induction operator, we show that the growth rate of the dynamo will be exactly the same for two types of magnetic boundary conditions: the magnetic field can be normal (infinite magnetic permeability, also called pseudovacuum) or tangent (perfect electrical conductor) to the boundaries of the domain. These boundary conditions correspond to well-defined physical limits often used in numerical models and relevant to laboratory experiments. The only constraint is for the velocity field u to be reversible, meaning there exists a transformation changing u into -u. We illustrate this surprising property using S2T2 type of flows in spherical geometry inspired by [Dudley and James, Proc. R. Soc. London A1364-502110.1098/rspa.1989.0112 425, 407 (1989)]. Using both types of boundary conditions, it is shown that the growth rates of the dynamos are identical, although the corresponding magnetic eigenmodes are drastically different.

  20. Design of the Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kendrick, R. D.; Forest, C. B.; O'Connell, R.; Nornberg, M. D.; Spence, E. J.

    2004-11-01

    A spherical dynamo experiment has been constructed at the University of Wisconsin's liquid-sodium facility. The goals of the experiment are to observe and understand magnetic instabilities driven by flow shear in MHD systems, investigate MHD turbulence for magnetic Reynolds numbers of 100, and understand the role of fluid turbulence in current generation. Magnetic field generation is possible for only specific flow geometries. The experiment consists of a 1 m diameter, spherical stainless steel vessel filled with liquid sodium at 110 Celsius. The temperature of the vessel is maintained through an actively-heated-and-cooled oil heat-exchange system. Two 100 Hp motors with impellers drive flows in the liquid sodium with flow velocities near 15 m/s. Each shaft is sealed with an oil-buffered dual mechanical cartridge seal. The experiment is automated for remote operation and data logging. The melting and transfer of one metric ton of sodium to a storage vessel is discussed. Operating parameters and performance of the experiment are presented.

  1. Facilitating dynamo action via control of large-scale turbulence.

    PubMed

    Limone, A; Hatch, D R; Forest, C B; Jenko, F

    2012-12-01

    The magnetohydrodynamic dynamo effect is considered to be the major cause of magnetic field generation in geo- and astrophysical systems. Recent experimental and numerical results show that turbulence constitutes an obstacle to dynamos; yet its role in this context is not totally clear. Via numerical simulations, we identify large-scale turbulent vortices with a detrimental effect on the amplification of the magnetic field in a geometry of experimental interest and propose a strategy for facilitating the dynamo instability by manipulating these detrimental "hidden" dynamics.

  2. Effect of the Lorentz force on on-off dynamo intermittency.

    PubMed

    Alexakis, Alexandros; Ponty, Yannick

    2008-05-01

    An investigation of the dynamo instability close to the threshold produced by an ABC forced flow is presented. We focus on the on-off intermittency behavior of the dynamo and the countereffect of the Lorentz force in the nonlinear stage of the dynamo. The Lorentz force drastically alters the statistics of the turbulent fluctuations of the flow and reduces their amplitude. As a result, much longer bursts (on phases) are observed than is expected based on the amplitude of the fluctuations in the kinematic regime of the dynamo. For large Reynolds numbers, the duration time of the on phase follows a power law distribution, while for smaller Reynolds numbers the Lorentz force completely kills the noise and the system transits from a chaotic state into a laminar time periodic flow. The behavior of the on-off intermittency as the Reynolds number is increased is also examined. The connections with dynamo experiments and theoretical modeling are discussed.

  3. Constraining Substellar Magnetic Dynamos using Brown Dwarf Radio Aurorae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kao, Melodie Minyu

    Brown dwarfs share characteristics with both low-mass stars and gas giant planets, making them useful laboratories for studying physics occurring in objects throughout this low mass and temperature range. Of particular interest in this dissertation is the nature of the engine driving their magnetic fields. Fully convective magnetic dynamos can operate in low mass stars, brown dwarfs, gas giant planets, and even fluid metal cores in small rocky planets. Objects in this wide mass range are capable of hosting strong magnetic fields, which shape much of the evolution of planets and stars: strong fields can protect planetary atmospheres from evaporating, generate optical and infrared emission that masquerade as clouds in the atmospheres of other worlds, and affect planet formation mechanisms. Thus, implications from understanding convective dynamo mechanisms also extend to exoplanet habitability. How the convective dynamos driving these fields operate remains an important open problem. While we have extensive data to inform models of magnetic dynamo mechanisms in higher mass stars like our Sun, the coolest and lowest-mass objects that probe the substellar-planetary boundary do not possess the internal structures necessary to drive solar-type dynamos. A number of models examining fully convective dynamo mechanisms have been proposed but they remain unconstrained by magnetic field measurements in the lowest end of the substellar mass and temperature space. Detections of highly circularly polarized pulsed radio emission provide our only window into magnetic field measurements for objects in the ultracool brown dwarf regime, but these detections are very rare; until this dissertation, only one attempt out of 60 had been successful. The work presented in this dissertation seeks to address this problem and examines radio emission from late L, T, and Y spectral type brown dwarfs spanning 1-6 times the surface temperature of Earth and explores implications for fully convective

  4. Studying astrophysical particle acceleration with laser-driven plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiuza, Frederico

    2016-10-01

    The acceleration of non-thermal particles in plasmas is critical for our understanding of explosive astrophysical phenomena, from solar flares to gamma ray bursts. Particle acceleration is thought to be mediated by collisionless shocks and magnetic reconnection. The microphysics underlying these processes and their ability to efficiently convert flow and magnetic energy into non-thermal particles, however, is not yet fully understood. By performing for the first time ab initio 3D particle-in-cell simulations of the interaction of both magnetized and unmagnetized laser-driven plasmas, it is now possible to identify the optimal parameters for the study of particle acceleration in the laboratory relevant to astrophysical scenarios. It is predicted for the Omega and NIF laser conditions that significant non-thermal acceleration can occur during magnetic reconnection of laser-driven magnetized plasmas. Electrons are accelerated by the electric field near the X-points and trapped in contracting magnetic islands. This leads to a power-law tail extending to nearly a hundred times the thermal energy of the plasma and that contains a large fraction of the magnetic energy. The study of unmagnetized interpenetrating plasmas also reveals the possibility of forming collisionless shocks mediated by the Weibel instability on NIF. Under such conditions, both electrons and ions can be energized by scattering out of the Weibel-mediated turbulence. This also leads to power-law spectra that can be detected experimentally. The resulting experimental requirements to probe the microphysics of plasma particle acceleration will be discussed, paving the way for the first experiments of these important processes in the laboratory. As a result of these simulations and theoretical analysis, there are new experiments being planned on the Omega, NIF, and LCLS laser facilities to test these theoretical predictions. This work was supported by the SLAC LDRD program and DOE Office of Science, Fusion

  5. Polar Plasma at Ganymede: Ionospheric outflow and discovery of the plasma sheet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Collinson, G.; Paterson, W.; Dorelli, J.; Glocer, A.; Sarantos, M.; Wilson, R. J.; Bard, C.

    2017-12-01

    On the 27th of June 1996, the NASA Galileo spacecraft made humanities first flyby of Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede, discovering that it is unique to science in being the only moon known to possess an internally generated magnetic dynamo field. Although Galileo carried a plasma spectrometer, the Plasma Subsystem (PLS), converting its highly complex raw data stream into meaningful plasma moments (density, temperature, velocity) is extremely challenging, and was only ever performed for the second (out of six) Ganymede flybys. Resurrecting the original Galileo PLS data analysis software, we processed the raw PLS data from G01, and for the first time present the properties of plasmas encountered. Dense, cold ions were observed outflowing from the moon's north pole (presumed to be dominated by H+ from the icy surface), with more diffuse, warmer field-aligned outflows in the lobes. Dropouts in plasma density combined with velocity perturbations either side of this suggest that Galileo briefly crossed the cusps onto closed magnetic field lines. PLS observations show that upon entry into the magnetosphere, Galileo crossed through the plasma sheet, observing plasma flows consistent with reconnection-driven convection, highly energized 105 eV ions, and a reversal in the magnetic field. The densities of plasmas flowing upwards from Ganymede's ionosphere were higher on open "lobe" field lines than on closed field lines, suggesting that the ionospheric source of these plasmas may be denser at the poles, there may be additional acceleration mechanisms at play, or the balance of ions were outside the energy range of PLS.

  6. A study of the kinematic dynamo equation with time-dependent coefficients

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ko, Chung-Ming

    1990-01-01

    During an active star formation epoch the interstellar medium of a galaxy is in a hyperactive state, and the average turbulent velocity is higher than in the long periods between star formation epochs. The galactic magnetic field generated by dynamo action depends strongly on the turbulent velocity, so that generation of magnetic field should vary with star formation activity. This paper is a preliminary study of the kinematic dynamo equation with time-dependent coefficients simulating the time dependence of the star formation activities. Ko and Parker argued in a simple model that the thickness of the dynamo region is the most sensitive dynamo parameter. The present work shows that the effect of inflating the galactic disk suddenly is to transform a stationary magnetic field into a growing field while keeping the profile more or less intact. Plane wave solutions for a dynamo with power-law time-dependent parameters show that the field may decay first and then grow, and vice versa, which is quite different from a constant parameter dynamo.

  7. Helioseismology Observations of Solar Cycles and Dynamo Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kosovichev, A. G.; Guerrero, G.; Pipin, V.

    2017-12-01

    Helioseismology observations from the SOHO and SDO, obtained in 1996-2017, provide unique insight into the dynamics of the Sun's deep interior for two solar cycles. The data allow us to investigate variations of the solar interior structure and dynamics, and compare these variations with dynamo models and simulations. We use results of the local and global helioseismology data processing pipelines at the SDO Joint Science Operations Center (Stanford University) to study solar-cycle variations of the differential rotation, meridional circulation, large-scale flows and global asphericity. By comparing the helioseismology results with the evolution of surface magnetic fields we identify characteristic changes associated the initiation and development of Solar Cycles 23 and 24. For the physical interpretation of observed variations, the results are compared with the current mean-field dynamo models and 3D MHD dynamo simulations. It is shown that the helioseismology inferences provide important constraints on the solar dynamo mechanism, may explain the fundamental difference between the two solar cycles, and also give information about the next solar cycle.

  8. Mars' paleomagnetic field as the result of a single-hemisphere dynamo.

    PubMed

    Stanley, Sabine; Elkins-Tanton, Linda; Zuber, Maria T; Parmentier, E Marc

    2008-09-26

    Mars' crustal magnetic field was most likely generated by dynamo action in the planet's early history. Unexplained characteristics of the field include its strength, concentration in the southern hemisphere, and lack of correlation with any surface features except for the hemispheric crustal dichotomy. We used numerical dynamo modeling to demonstrate that the mechanisms proposed to explain crustal dichotomy formation can result in a single-hemisphere dynamo. This dynamo produces strong magnetic fields in only the southern hemisphere. This magnetic field morphology can explain why Mars' crustal magnetic field intensities are substantially stronger in the southern hemisphere without relying on any postdynamo mechanisms.

  9. Magnetorotational Dynamo Action in the Shearing Box

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walker, Justin; Boldyrev, Stanislav

    2017-10-01

    Magnetic dynamo action caused by the magnetorotational instability is studied in the shearing-box approximation with no imposed net magnetic flux. Consistent with recent studies, the dynamo action is found to be sensitive to the aspect ratio of the box: it is much easier to obtain in tall boxes (stretched in the direction normal to the disk plane) than in long boxes (stretched in the radial direction). Our direct numerical simulations indicate that the dynamo is possible in both cases, given a large enough magnetic Reynolds number. To explain the relatively larger effort required to obtain the dynamo action in a long box, we propose that the turbulent eddies caused by the instability most efficiently fold and mix the magnetic field lines in the radial direction. As a result, in the long box the scale of the generated strong azimuthal (stream-wise directed) magnetic field is always comparable to the scale of the turbulent eddies. In contrast, in the tall box the azimuthal magnetic flux spreads in the vertical direction over a distance exceeding the scale of the turbulent eddies. As a result, different vertical sections of the tall box are permeated by large-scale nonzero azimuthal magnetic fluxes, facilitating the instability. NSF AGS-1261659, Vilas Associates Award, NSF-Teragrid Project TG-PHY110016.

  10. Relating Stellar Cycle Periods to Dynamo Calculations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tobias, S. M.

    1998-01-01

    Stellar magnetic activity in slowly rotating stars is often cyclic, with the period of the magnetic cycle depending critically on the rotation rate and the convective turnover time of the star. Here we show that the interpretation of this law from dynamo models is not a simple task. It is demonstrated that the period is (unsurprisingly) sensitive to the precise type of non-linearity employed. Moreover the calculation of the wave-speed of plane-wave solutions does not (as was previously supposed) give an indication of the magnetic period in a more realistic dynamo model, as the changes in length-scale of solutions are not easily captured by this approach. Progress can be made, however, by considering a realistic two-dimensional model, in which the radial length-scale of waves is included. We show that it is possible in this case to derive a more robust relation between cycle period and dynamo number. For all the non-linearities considered in the most realistic model, the magnetic cycle period is a decreasing function of IDI (the amplitude of the dynamo number). However, discriminating between different non-linearities is difficult in this case and care must therefore be taken before advancing explanations for the magnetic periods of stars.

  11. Properties of the electrostatically driven helical plasma state

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akçay, Cihan; Finn, John M.; Nebel, Richard A.; Barnes, Daniel C.; Martin, Neal

    2018-02-01

    A novel plasma state has been found [Akçay et al., Phys. Plasmas 24, 052503 (2017)] in the presence of a uniform applied axial magnetic field in periodic cylindrical geometry. This state is driven by external electrostatic fields provided by helical electrodes with a (m =1 ,n =1 ) (helical) symmetry where m and n represent the poloidal and axial harmonics. The resulting plasma is a function of the cylinder radius r driven form of the state was found to have a strong axial mean current density, with a mean-field line safety factor q0(r ) just above the pitch of the electrodes m /n =1 in the interior, where the plasma is nearly force-free. However, at the edge the current density has a component perpendicular to the magnetic field B. This perpendicular current density drives nearly Alfvénic helical plasma flows, a notable feature of these states. This state is being studied for its possible application in DC electrical transformers. We present results on several issues of importance for these applications: the transient leading to the steady state; the twist and writhe of the field lines and their relation with the current density; the properties of the current density streamlines and length of the current density lines connected to the electrodes; the sensitivity to changes in the velocity boundary conditions; the effect of varying the radial resistivity profile; and the effects of a concentrated electrode potential.

  12. Dynamo generation of magnetic field in the white dwarf GD 358

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Markiel, J. Andrew; Thomas, John H.; Van Horn, H. M.

    1994-01-01

    On the basis of Whole Earth Telescope observations of the g-mode oscillation spectrum of the white dwarf GD 358, Winget et al. find evidence for significant differential rotation and for a time-varying magnetic field concentrated in the surface layers of this star. Here we argue on theoretical grounds that this magnetic field is produced by an alpha omega dynamo operating in the lower part of a surface convection zone in GD 358. Our argument is based on numerical solutions of the nonlinear, local dynamo equations of Robinson & Durney, with specific parameters based on our detailed models of white-dwarf convective envelopes, and universal constants determined by a calibration with the the Sun's dynamo. The calculations suggest a dynamo cycle period of about 6 years for the fundamental mode, and periods as short as 1 year for the higher-order modes that are expected to dominate in view of the large dynamo number we estimate for GD 358. These dynamo periods are consistent with the changes in the magnetic field of GD 358 over the span of 1 month inferred by Winget et. al. from their observations. Our calculations also suggest a peak dynamo magnetic field strength at the base of the surface convection zone of about 1800 G, which is consistent with the field strength inferred from the observations.

  13. A THREE-DIMENSIONAL BABCOCK-LEIGHTON SOLAR DYNAMO MODEL

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miesch, Mark S.; Dikpati, Mausumi, E-mail: miesch@ucar.edu

    We present a three-dimensional (3D) kinematic solar dynamo model in which poloidal field is generated by the emergence and dispersal of tilted sunspot pairs (more generally bipolar magnetic regions, or BMRs). The axisymmetric component of this model functions similarly to previous 2.5 dimensional (2.5D, axisymmetric) Babcock-Leighton (BL) dynamo models that employ a double-ring prescription for poloidal field generation but we generalize this prescription into a 3D flux emergence algorithm that places BMRs on the surface in response to the dynamo-generated toroidal field. In this way, the model can be regarded as a unification of BL dynamo models (2.5D in radius/latitude)more » and surface flux transport models (2.5D in latitude/longitude) into a more self-consistent framework that builds on the successes of each while capturing the full 3D structure of the evolving magnetic field. The model reproduces some basic features of the solar cycle including an 11 yr periodicity, equatorward migration of toroidal flux in the deep convection zone, and poleward propagation of poloidal flux at the surface. The poleward-propagating surface flux originates as trailing flux in BMRs, migrates poleward in multiple non-axisymmetric streams (made axisymmetric by differential rotation and turbulent diffusion), and eventually reverses the polar field, thus sustaining the dynamo. In this Letter we briefly describe the model, initial results, and future plans.« less

  14. Slowing of magnetic reconnection concurrent with weakening plasma inflows and increasing collisionality in strongly-driven laser-plasma experiments

    DOE PAGES

    Rosenberg, M.  J.; Li, C.  K.; Fox, W.; ...

    2015-05-20

    An evolution of magnetic reconnection behavior, from fast jets to the slowing of reconnection and the establishment of a stable current sheet, has been observed in strongly-driven, β ≲ 20 laser-produced plasma experiments. This process has been inferred to occur alongside a slowing of plasma inflows carrying the oppositely-directed magnetic fields as well as the evolution of plasma conditions from collisionless to collisional. High-resolution proton radiography has revealed unprecedented detail of the forced interaction of magnetic fields and super-Alfvénic electron jets (V jet~ 20V A) ejected from the reconnection region, indicating that two-fluid or collisionless magnetic reconnection occurs early inmore » time. The absence of jets and the persistence of strong, stable magnetic fields at late times indicates that the reconnection process slows down, while plasma flows stagnate and plasma conditions evolve to a cooler, denser, more collisional state. These results demonstrate that powerful initial plasma flows are not sufficient to force a complete reconnection of magnetic fields, even in the strongly-driven regime.« less

  15. Transition to Turbulent Dynamo Saturation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seshasayanan, Kannabiran; Gallet, Basile; Alexakis, Alexandros

    2017-11-01

    While the saturated magnetic energy is independent of viscosity in dynamo experiments, it remains viscosity dependent in state-of-the-art 3D direct numerical simulations (DNS). Extrapolating such viscous scaling laws to realistic parameter values leads to an underestimation of the magnetic energy by several orders of magnitude. The origin of this discrepancy is that fully 3D DNS cannot reach low enough values of the magnetic Prandtl number Pm. To bypass this limitation and investigate dynamo saturation at very low Pm, we focus on the vicinity of the dynamo threshold in a rapidly rotating flow: the velocity field then depends on two spatial coordinates only, while the magnetic field consists of a single Fourier mode in the third direction. We perform numerical simulations of the resulting set of reduced equations for Pm down to 2 ×10-5. This parameter regime is currently out of reach to fully 3D DNS. We show that the magnetic energy transitions from a high-Pm viscous scaling regime to a low-Pm turbulent scaling regime, the latter being independent of viscosity. The transition to the turbulent saturation regime occurs at a low value of the magnetic Prandtl number, Pm ≃10-3 , which explains why it has been overlooked by numerical studies so far.

  16. Transition to Turbulent Dynamo Saturation.

    PubMed

    Seshasayanan, Kannabiran; Gallet, Basile; Alexakis, Alexandros

    2017-11-17

    While the saturated magnetic energy is independent of viscosity in dynamo experiments, it remains viscosity dependent in state-of-the-art 3D direct numerical simulations (DNS). Extrapolating such viscous scaling laws to realistic parameter values leads to an underestimation of the magnetic energy by several orders of magnitude. The origin of this discrepancy is that fully 3D DNS cannot reach low enough values of the magnetic Prandtl number Pm. To bypass this limitation and investigate dynamo saturation at very low Pm, we focus on the vicinity of the dynamo threshold in a rapidly rotating flow: the velocity field then depends on two spatial coordinates only, while the magnetic field consists of a single Fourier mode in the third direction. We perform numerical simulations of the resulting set of reduced equations for Pm down to 2×10^{-5}. This parameter regime is currently out of reach to fully 3D DNS. We show that the magnetic energy transitions from a high-Pm viscous scaling regime to a low-Pm turbulent scaling regime, the latter being independent of viscosity. The transition to the turbulent saturation regime occurs at a low value of the magnetic Prandtl number, Pm≃10^{-3}, which explains why it has been overlooked by numerical studies so far.

  17. ACCRETION DISK DYNAMO AS THE TRIGGER FOR X-RAY BINARY STATE TRANSITIONS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Begelman, Mitchell C.; Armitage, Philip J.; Reynolds, Christopher S., E-mail: mitch@jila.colorado.edu

    2015-08-20

    Magnetohydrodynamic accretion disk simulations suggest that much of the energy liberated by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) can be channeled into large-scale toroidal magnetic fields through dynamo action. Under certain conditions, this field can dominate over gas and radiation pressure in providing vertical support against gravity, even close to the midplane. Using a simple model for the creation of this field, its buoyant rise, and its coupling to the gas, we show how disks could be driven into this magnetically dominated state and deduce the resulting vertical pressure and density profiles. Applying an established criterion for MRI to operate in themore » presence of a toroidal field, we show that magnetically supported disks can have two distinct MRI-active regions, separated by a “dead zone” where local MRI is suppressed, but where magnetic energy continues to flow upward from the dynamo region below. We suggest that the relative strengths of the MRI zones, and the local poloidal flux, determine the spectral states of X-ray binaries. Specifically, “intermediate” and “hard” accretion states occur when MRI is triggered in the hot, upper zone of the corona, while disks in “soft” states do not develop the upper MRI zone. We discuss the conditions under which various transitions should take place and speculate on the relationship of dynamo activity to the various types of quasi-periodic oscillations that sometimes appear in the hard spectral components. The model also explains why luminous accretion disks in the “soft” state show no signs of the thermal/viscous instability predicted by standard α-models.« less

  18. Multiple scale dynamo

    PubMed Central

    Le Mouël, Jean-Louis; Allègre, Claude J.; Narteau, Clément

    1997-01-01

    A scaling law approach is used to simulate the dynamo process of the Earth’s core. The model is made of embedded turbulent domains of increasing dimensions, until the largest whose size is comparable with the site of the core, pervaded by large-scale magnetic fields. Left-handed or right-handed cyclones appear at the lowest scale, the scale of the elementary domains of the hierarchical model, and disappear. These elementary domains then behave like electromotor generators with opposite polarities depending on whether they contain a left-handed or a right-handed cyclone. To transfer the behavior of the elementary domains to larger ones, a dynamic renormalization approach is used. A simple rule is adopted to determine whether a domain of scale l is a generator—and what its polarity is—in function of the state of the (l − 1) domains it is made of. This mechanism is used as the main ingredient of a kinematic dynamo model, which displays polarity intervals, excursions, and reversals of the geomagnetic field. PMID:11038547

  19. Fluctuation dynamo and turbulent induction at small Prandtl number.

    PubMed

    Eyink, Gregory L

    2010-10-01

    We study the Lagrangian mechanism of the fluctuation dynamo at zero Prandtl number and infinite magnetic Reynolds number, in the Kazantsev-Kraichnan model of white-noise advection. With a rough velocity field corresponding to a turbulent inertial range, flux freezing holds only in a stochastic sense. We show that field lines arriving to the same point which were initially separated by many resistive lengths are important to the dynamo. Magnetic vectors of the seed field that point parallel to the initial separation vector arrive anticorrelated and produce an "antidynamo" effect. We also study the problem of "magnetic induction" of a spatially uniform seed field. We find no essential distinction between this process and fluctuation dynamo, both producing the same growth rates and small-scale magnetic correlations. In the regime of very rough velocity fields where fluctuation dynamo fails, we obtain the induced magnetic energy spectra. We use these results to evaluate theories proposed for magnetic spectra in laboratory experiments of turbulent induction.

  20. Can Superflares Occur on the Sun? A View from Dynamo Theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katsova, M. M.; Kitchatinov, L. L.; Livshits, M. A.; Moss, D. L.; Sokoloff, D. D.; Usoskin, I. G.

    2018-01-01

    Recent data from the Kepler mission has revealed the occurrence of superflares in Sun-like stars which exceed by far any observed solar flares in released energy. Radionuclide data do not provide evidence for occurrence of superflares on the Sun over the past eleven millennia. Stellar data for a subgroup of superflaring Kepler stars are analysed in an attempt to find possible progenitors of their abnormal magnetic activity. A natural idea is that the dynamo mechanism in superflaring stars differs in some respect from that in the Sun. We search for a difference in the dynamo-related parameters between superflaring stars and the Sun to suggest a dynamo mechanism as close as possible to the conventional solar/stellar dynamo but capable of providing much higher magnetic energy. Dynamo based on joint action of differential rotation and mirror asymmetric motions can in principle result in excitation of two types of magnetic fields. First of all, it is well-known in solar physics dynamo waves. The point is that another magnetic configuration with initial growth and further stabilisation can also be excited. For comparable conditions, magnetic field of second configuration is much stronger than that of the first one just because dynamo does not spend its energy for periodic magnetic field inversions but uses it for magnetic field growth. We analysed available data from the Kepler mission concerning the superflaring stars in order to find tracers of anomalous magnetic activity. As suggested in a recent paper [1], we find that anti-solar differential rotation or anti-solar sign of the mirror-asymmetry of stellar convection can provide the desired strong magnetic field in dynamo models. We confirm this concept by numerical models of stellar dynamos with corresponding governing parameters. We conclude that the proposed mechanism can plausibly explain the superflaring events at least for some cool stars, including binaries, subgiants and, possibly, low-mass stars and young

  1. Magnetic Eigenmode Analysis of the Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nornberg, M. D.; Forest, C. B.; Kendrick, Roch; O'Connell, R.; Spence, E. J.

    2004-11-01

    The magnetic field generated by a spherical homogeneous liquid-sodium dynamo is explored in terms of the magnetic eigenmodes predicted by Dudley and James. The flow geometry chosen corresponds to the T2S2 flow and is created by two counter-rotating propellers driven by 100HP motors with flow velocities up to 15 m/s. A perturbative magnetic field is generated by pulsing a set axial field coils. The largest growing eigenmode is predicted by linear analysis to be a strong equatorial-dipole field. The field is measured using an array of Hall probes both on the surface of the sphere and within the sphere. From the measured field the growth or decay rates of the magnetic eigenmodes are determined. Turbulence in the flow is expected to give rise to modifications of the growth rates and the structure of the eigenmodes.

  2. Fast dynamos, cosmic rays, and the Galactic magnetic field

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parker, E. N.

    1992-01-01

    It is suggested here that the dynamo believed to be responsible for the magnetic field of the Galaxy is a fast dynamo due to the dynamical reconnection of the azimuthal field of the Galaxy as the field is deformed by the instability of the gaseous disk and the rapid inflation of magnetic lobes by the cosmic-ray gas to form the Galactic halo. The reconnection of adjacent lobes carries out both the alpha effect and field dissipation essential for the existence of the Galactic alpha-omega dynamo. The azimuthal field is generated primarily in the gaseous disk, while the alpha effect is carried out in the halo.

  3. Universal nonlinear small-scale dynamo.

    PubMed

    Beresnyak, A

    2012-01-20

    We consider astrophysically relevant nonlinear MHD dynamo at large Reynolds numbers (Re). We argue that it is universal in a sense that magnetic energy grows at a rate which is a constant fraction C(E) of the total turbulent dissipation rate. On the basis of locality bounds we claim that this "efficiency of the small-scale dynamo", C(E), is a true constant for large Re and is determined only by strongly nonlinear dynamics at the equipartition scale. We measured C(E) in numerical simulations and observed a value around 0.05 in the highest resolution simulations. We address the issue of C(E) being small, unlike the Kolmogorov constant which is of order unity. © 2012 American Physical Society

  4. Solar-type dynamo behaviour in fully convective stars without a tachocline.

    PubMed

    Wright, Nicholas J; Drake, Jeremy J

    2016-07-28

    In solar-type stars (with radiative cores and convective envelopes like our Sun), the magnetic field powers star spots, flares and other solar phenomena, as well as chromospheric and coronal emission at ultraviolet to X-ray wavelengths. The dynamo responsible for generating the field depends on the shearing of internal magnetic fields by differential rotation. The shearing has long been thought to take place in a boundary layer known as the tachocline between the radiative core and the convective envelope. Fully convective stars do not have a tachocline and their dynamo mechanism is expected to be very different, although its exact form and physical dependencies are not known. Here we report observations of four fully convective stars whose X-ray emission correlates with their rotation periods in the same way as in solar-type stars. As the X-ray activity-rotation relationship is a well-established proxy for the behaviour of the magnetic dynamo, these results imply that fully convective stars also operate a solar-type dynamo. The lack of a tachocline in fully convective stars therefore suggests that this is not a critical ingredient in the solar dynamo and supports models in which the dynamo originates throughout the convection zone.

  5. A Model of the Turbulent Electric Dynamo in Multi-Phase Media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dementyeva, Svetlana; Mareev, Evgeny

    2016-04-01

    Many terrestrial and astrophysical phenomena witness the conversion of kinetic energy into electric energy (the energy of the quasi-stationary electric field) in conducting media, which is natural to treat as manifestations of electric dynamo by analogy with well-known theory of magnetic dynamo. Such phenomena include thunderstorms and lightning in the Earth's atmosphere and atmospheres of other planets, electric activity caused by dust storms in terrestrial and Martian atmospheres, snow storms, electrical discharges occurring in technological setups, connected with intense mixing of aerosol particles like in the milling industry. We have developed a model of the large-scale turbulent electric dynamo in a weakly conducting medium, containing two heavy-particle components. We have distinguished two main classes of charging mechanisms (inductive and non-inductive) in accordance with the dependence or independence of the electric charge, transferred during a particle collision, on the electric field intensity and considered the simplified models which demonstrate the possibility of dynamo realization and its specific peculiarities for these mechanisms. Dynamo (the large-scale electric field growth) appears due to the charge separation between the colliding and rebounding particles. This process is may be greatly intensified by the turbulent mixing of particles with different masses and, consequently, different inertia. The particle charge fluctuations themselves (small-scale dynamo), however, do not automatically mean growth of the large-scale electric field without a large-scale asymmetry. Such an asymmetry arises due to the dependence of the transferred charge magnitude on the electric field intensity in the case of the inductive mechanism of charge separation, or due to the gravity and convection for non-inductive mechanisms. We have found that in the case of the inductive mechanism the large-scale dynamo occurs if the medium conductivity is small enough while the

  6. Grand Minima and Equatorward Propagation in a Cycling Stellar Convective Dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Augustson, Kyle C.; Brun, Allan Sacha; Miesch, Mark; Toomre, Juri

    2015-08-01

    The 3-D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Anelastic Spherical Harmonic (ASH) code, using slope-limited diffusion, is employed to capture convective and dynamo processes achieved in a global-scale stellar convection simulation for a model solar-mass star rotating at three times the solar rate. The dynamo generated magnetic fields possesses many time scales, with a prominent polarity cycle occurring roughly every 6.2 years. The magnetic field forms large-scale toroidal wreaths, whose formation is tied to the low Rossby number of the convection in this simulation. The polarity reversals are linked to the weakened differential rotation and a resistive collapse of the large-scale magnetic field. An equatorial migration of the magnetic field is seen, which is due to the strong modulation of the differential rotation rather than a dynamo wave. A poleward migration of magnetic flux from the equator eventually leads to the reversal of the polarity of the high-latitude magnetic field. This simulation also enters an interval with reduced magnetic energy at low latitudes lasting roughly 16 years (about 2.5 polarity cycles), during which the polarity cycles are disrupted and after which the dynamo recovers its regular polarity cycles. An analysis of this grand minimum reveals that it likely arises through the interplay of symmetric and antisymmetric dynamo families. This intermittent dynamo state potentially results from the simulations relatively low magnetic Prandtl number. A mean-field-based analysis of this dynamo simulation demonstrates that it is of the α-Ω type. The time scales that appear to be relevant to the magnetic polarity reversal are also identified.

  7. Grand Minima and Equatorward Propagation in a Cycling Stellar Convective Dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Augustson, Kyle; Brun, Allan Sacha; Miesch, Mark; Toomre, Juri

    2015-08-01

    The 3D MHD Anelastic Spherical Harmonic code, using slope-limited diffusion, is employed to capture convective and dynamo processes achieved in a global-scale stellar convection simulation for a model solar-mass star rotating at three times the solar rate. The dynamo-generated magnetic fields possesses many timescales, with a prominent polarity cycle occurring roughly every 6.2 years. The magnetic field forms large-scale toroidal wreaths, whose formation is tied to the low Rossby number of the convection in this simulation. The polarity reversals are linked to the weakened differential rotation and a resistive collapse of the large-scale magnetic field. An equatorial migration of the magnetic field is seen, which is due to the strong modulation of the differential rotation rather than a dynamo wave. A poleward migration of magnetic flux from the equator eventually leads to the reversal of the polarity of the high-latitude magnetic field. This simulation also enters an interval with reduced magnetic energy at low latitudes lasting roughly 16 years (about 2.5 polarity cycles), during which the polarity cycles are disrupted and after which the dynamo recovers its regular polarity cycles. An analysis of this grand minimum reveals that it likely arises through the interplay of symmetric and antisymmetric dynamo families. This intermittent dynamo state potentially results from the simulation’s relatively low magnetic Prandtl number. A mean-field-based analysis of this dynamo simulation demonstrates that it is of the α-Ω type. The timescales that appear to be relevant to the magnetic polarity reversal are also identified.

  8. GRAND MINIMA AND EQUATORWARD PROPAGATION IN A CYCLING STELLAR CONVECTIVE DYNAMO

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Augustson, Kyle; Miesch, Mark; Brun, Allan Sacha

    2015-08-20

    The 3D MHD Anelastic Spherical Harmonic code, using slope-limited diffusion, is employed to capture convective and dynamo processes achieved in a global-scale stellar convection simulation for a model solar-mass star rotating at three times the solar rate. The dynamo-generated magnetic fields possesses many timescales, with a prominent polarity cycle occurring roughly every 6.2 years. The magnetic field forms large-scale toroidal wreaths, whose formation is tied to the low Rossby number of the convection in this simulation. The polarity reversals are linked to the weakened differential rotation and a resistive collapse of the large-scale magnetic field. An equatorial migration of themore » magnetic field is seen, which is due to the strong modulation of the differential rotation rather than a dynamo wave. A poleward migration of magnetic flux from the equator eventually leads to the reversal of the polarity of the high-latitude magnetic field. This simulation also enters an interval with reduced magnetic energy at low latitudes lasting roughly 16 years (about 2.5 polarity cycles), during which the polarity cycles are disrupted and after which the dynamo recovers its regular polarity cycles. An analysis of this grand minimum reveals that it likely arises through the interplay of symmetric and antisymmetric dynamo families. This intermittent dynamo state potentially results from the simulation’s relatively low magnetic Prandtl number. A mean-field-based analysis of this dynamo simulation demonstrates that it is of the α-Ω type. The timescales that appear to be relevant to the magnetic polarity reversal are also identified.« less

  9. Magnetic dynamos in accreting planetary bodies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golabek, Gregor; Labrosse, Stéphane; Gerya, Taras; Morishima, Ryuji; Tackley, Paul

    2013-04-01

    Laboratory measurements revealed ancient remanent magnetization in meteorites [1] indicating the activity of magnetic dynamos in the corresponding meteorite parent body. To study under which circumstances dynamo activity is possible, we use a new methodology to simulate the internal evolution of a planetary body during accretion and differentiation. Using the N-body code PKDGRAV [2] we simulate the accretion of planetary embryos from an initial annulus of several thousand planetesimals. The growth history of the largest resulting planetary embryo is used as an input for the thermomechanical 2D code I2ELVIS [3]. The thermomechanical model takes recent parametrizations of impact processes [4] and of the magnetic dynamo [5] into account. It was pointed out that impacts can not only deposit heat deep into the target body, which is later buried by ejecta of further impacts [6], but also that impacts expose in the crater region originally deep-seated layers, thus cooling the interior [7]. This combination of impact effects becomes even more important when we consider that planetesimals of all masses contribute to planetary accretion. This leads occasionally to collisions between bodies with large ratios between impactor and target mass. Thus, all these processes can be expected to have a profound effect on the thermal evolution during the epoch of planetary accretion and may have implications for the magnetic dynamo activity. Results show that late-formed planetesimals do not experience silicate melting and avoid thermal alteration, whereas in early-formed bodies accretion and iron core growth occur almost simultaneously and a highly variable magnetic dynamo can operate in the interior of these bodies. [1] Weiss, B.P. et al., Science, 322, 713-716, 2008. [2] Richardson, D. C. et al., Icarus, 143, 45-59, 2000. [3] Gerya, T.V and Yuen, D.J., Phys. Earth Planet. Int., 163, 83-105, 2007. [4] Monteux, J. et al., Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L24201, 2007. [5] Aubert, J. et al

  10. Summary of the Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kendrick, R. D.; Spence, E. J.; Nornberg, M. D.; Forest, C. B.

    2001-10-01

    A spherical dynamo experiment has been constructed at the University of Wisconsin's liquid sodium facility. The goals of the experiment are to observe and understand magnetic instabilities driven by flow shear in MHD systems, investigate MHD turbulence for magnetic Reynolds numbers of ~100, and understand the role of fluid turbulence in current generation. Magnetic field generation is possible for only specific flow geometries. We have studied and achieved simple roll flow geometries in a full scale water experiment. Results from this experiment have guided the design of the sodium experiment. The experiment consists of a 1 m diameter, spherical stainless steel vessel filled with liquid sodium at 110 Celsius. Two 100 Hp motors with impellers drive flows in the liquid sodium with flow velocities ~ 15 m/s. A gaussian grid of Hall probes on the surface of the sodium vessel measure the generated external magnetic field. Hall probe feed-thru arrays measure the internal field. Preliminary investigations include measurements of the turbulent electromotive force and excitation of magnetic eigenmodes.

  11. Design of the Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kendrick, R. D.; Bayliss, R. A.; Forest, C. B.; Nornberg, M. D.; O'Connell, R.; Spence, E. J.

    2003-10-01

    A spherical dynamo experiment has been constructed at the University of Wisconsin's liquid sodium facility. The goals of the experiment are to observe and understand magnetic instabilities driven by flow shear in MHD systems, investigate MHD turbulence for magnetic Reynolds numbers of ˜100, and understand the role of fluid turbulence in current generation. Magnetic field generation is possible for only specific flow geometries. We have studied and achieved simple roll flow geometries in a full scale water experiment. Results from this experiment have guided the design of the sodium experiment. The experiment consists of a 1 m diameter, spherical stainless steel vessel filled with liquid sodium at 110 Celsius. Two 100 Hp motors with impellers drive flows in the liquid sodium with flow velocities ˜ 15 m/s. A grid of Hall probes on the surface of the sodium vessel measure the generated external magnetic field. Hall probe feed-thru arrays measure the internal field. Preliminary investigations include measurements of the turbulent electromotive force and excitation of magnetic eigenmodes.

  12. THE COMBINED EFFECT OF PRECESSION AND CONVECTION ON THE DYNAMO ACTION

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wei, Xing, E-mail: xing.wei@sjtu.edu.cn; Princeton University Observatory, Princeton, NJ 08544

    2016-08-20

    To understand the generation of the Earth’s magnetic field and those of other planets, we numerically investigate the combined effect of precession and convection on dynamo action in a spherical shell. Convection alone, precession alone, and the combined effect of convection and precession are studied at the low Ekman number at which the precessing flow is already unstable. The key result is that although precession or convection alone are not strong enough to support the dynamo action, the combined effect of precession and convection can support the dynamo action because of the resonance of precessional and convective instabilities. This resultmore » may explain why the geodynamo has been maintained for such a long time compared to the Martian dynamo.« less

  13. Nonlinear restrictions on dynamo action. [in magnetic fields of astrophysical objects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vainshtein, Samuel I.; Cattaneo, Fausto

    1992-01-01

    Astrophysical dynamos operate in the limit of small magnetic diffusivity. In order for magnetic reconnection to occur, very small magnetic structures must form so that diffusion becomes effective. The formation of small-scale fields is accompanied by the stretching of the field lines and therefore by an amplification of the magnetic field strength. The back reaction of the magnetic field on the motions leads to the eventual saturation of the dynamo process, thus posing a constraint on the amount of magnetic flux that can be generated by dynamo action, It is argued that in the limit of small diffusivity only a small amount of flux, many orders of magnitude less than the observed fluxes, can be created by dynamo processes.

  14. Simulations of cloud-radiation interaction using large-scale forcing derived from the CINDY/DYNAMO northern sounding array

    DOE PAGES

    Wang, Shuguang; Sobel, Adam H.; Fridlind, Ann; ...

    2015-09-25

    The recently completed CINDY/DYNAMO field campaign observed two Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) events in the equatorial Indian Ocean from October to December 2011. Prior work has indicated that the moist static energy anomalies in these events grew and were sustained to a significant extent by radiative feedbacks. We present here a study of radiative fluxes and clouds in a set of cloud-resolving simulations of these MJO events. The simulations are driven by the large scale forcing dataset derived from the DYNAMO northern sounding array observations, and carried out in a doubly-periodic domain using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. simulatedmore » cloud properties and radiative fluxes are compared to those derived from the S-Polka radar and satellite observations. Furthermore, to accommodate the uncertainty in simulated cloud microphysics, a number of single moment (1M) and double moment (2M) microphysical schemes in the WRF model are tested.« less

  15. Self-consistent Langmuir waves in resonantly driven thermal plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lindberg, R. R.; Charman, A. E.; Wurtele, J. S.

    2007-12-01

    The longitudinal dynamics of a resonantly driven Langmuir wave are analyzed in the limit that the growth of the electrostatic wave is slow compared to the bounce frequency. Using simple physical arguments, the nonlinear distribution function is shown to be nearly invariant in the canonical particle action, provided both a spatially uniform term and higher-order spatial harmonics are included along with the fundamental in the longitudinal electric field. Requirements of self-consistency with the electrostatic potential yield the basic properties of the nonlinear distribution function, including a frequency shift that agrees closely with driven, electrostatic particle simulations over a range of temperatures. This extends earlier work on nonlinear Langmuir waves by Morales and O'Neil [G. J. Morales and T. M. O'Neil, Phys. Rev. Lett. 28, 417 (1972)] and Dewar [R. L. Dewar, Phys. Plasmas 15, 712 (1972)], and could form the basis of a reduced kinetic treatment of plasma dynamics for accelerator applications or Raman backscatter.

  16. Simulation of an Ice Giant-style Dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soderlund, K. M.; Aurnou, J. M.

    2010-12-01

    The Ice Giants, Uranus and Neptune, are unique in the solar system. These planets are the only known bodies to have multipolar magnetic fields where the quadrupole and octopole components have strengths comparable to or greater than that of the dipole. Cloud layer observations show that the planets also have zonal (east-west) flows that are fundamentally different from the banded winds of Jupiter and Saturn. The surface winds are characterized by strong retrograde equatorial jets that are flanked on either side by prograde jets at high latitudes. Thermal emission measurements of Neptune show that the surface energy flux pattern peaks in the equatorial and polar regions with minima at mid-latitudes. (The measurements for Uranus cannot adequately resolve the emission pattern.) The winds and magnetic fields are thought to be the result of convection in the planetary interior, which will also affect the heat flux pattern. Typically, it is implicitly assumed that the zonal winds are generated in a shallow layer, separate from the dynamo generation region. However, if the magnetic fields are driven near the surface, a single region can simultaneously generate both the zonal flows and the magnetic fields. Here, we present a novel numerical model of an Ice Giant-style dynamo to investigate this possibility. An order unity convective Rossby number (ratio of buoyancy to Coriolis forces) has been chosen because retrograde equatorial jets tend to occur in spherical shells when the effects of rotation are relatively weak. Our modeling results qualitatively reproduce all of the structural features of the global dynamical observations. Thus, a self-consistent model can generate magnetic field, zonal flow, and thermal emission patterns that agree with those of Uranus and Neptune. This model, then, leads us to hypothesize that the Ice Giants' zonal flows and magnetic fields are generated via dynamically coupled deep convection processes.

  17. Extrapolating Solar Dynamo Models Throughout the Heliosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cox, B. T.; Miesch, M. S.; Augustson, K.; Featherstone, N. A.

    2014-12-01

    There are multiple theories that aim to explain the behavior of the solar dynamo, and their associated models have been fiercely contested. The two prevailing theories investigated in this project are the Convective Dynamo model that arises from the pure solving of the magnetohydrodynamic equations, as well as the Babcock-Leighton model that relies on sunspot dissipation and reconnection. Recently, the supercomputer simulations CASH and BASH have formed models of the behavior of the Convective and Babcock-Leighton models, respectively, in the convective zone of the sun. These models show the behavior of the models within the sun, while much less is known about the effects these models may have further away from the solar surface. The goal of this work is to investigate any fundamental differences between the Convective and Babcock-Leighton models of the solar dynamo outside of the sun and extending into the solar system via the use of potential field source surface extrapolations implemented via python code that operates on data from CASH and BASH. The use of real solar data to visualize supergranular flow data in the BASH model is also used to learn more about the behavior of the Babcock-Leighton Dynamo. From the process of these extrapolations it has been determined that the Babcock-Leighton model, as represented by BASH, maintains complex magnetic fields much further into the heliosphere before reverting into a basic dipole field, providing 3D visualisations of the models distant from the sun.

  18. Mean-field dynamo action in renovating shearing flows.

    PubMed

    Kolekar, Sanved; Subramanian, Kandaswamy; Sridhar, S

    2012-08-01

    We study mean-field dynamo action in renovating flows with finite and nonzero correlation time (τ) in the presence of shear. Previous results obtained when shear was absent are generalized to the case with shear. The question of whether the mean magnetic field can grow in the presence of shear and nonhelical turbulence, as seen in numerical simulations, is examined. We show in a general manner that, if the motions are strictly nonhelical, then such mean-field dynamo action is not possible. This result is not limited to low (fluid or magnetic) Reynolds numbers nor does it use any closure approximation; it only assumes that the flow renovates itself after each time interval τ. Specifying to a particular form of the renovating flow with helicity, we recover the standard dispersion relation of the α(2)Ω dynamo, in the small τ or large wavelength limit. Thus mean fields grow even in the presence of rapidly growing fluctuations, surprisingly, in a manner predicted by the standard quasilinear closure, even though such a closure is not strictly justified. Our work also suggests the possibility of obtaining mean-field dynamo growth in the presence of helicity fluctuations, although having a coherent helicity will be more efficient.

  19. Linear and nonlinear dynamo properties of time-dependent ABC flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brummell, N. H.; Cattaneo, F.; Tobias, S. M.

    2001-04-01

    The linear and nonlinear dynamo properties of a class of periodically forced flows is considered. The forcing functions are chosen to drive, in the absence of magnetic effects (kinematic regime), a time-dependent version of the ABC flow with A= B= C=1. The time-dependence consists of a harmonic displacement of the origin along the line x= y= z=1 with amplitude ɛ and frequency Ω. The finite-time Lyapunov exponents are computed for several values of ɛ and Ω. It is found that for values of these parameters near unity chaotic streamlines occupy most of the volume. In this parameter range, and for moderate kinetic and magnetic Reynolds numbers, the basic flow is both hydrodynamically and hydromagnetically unstable. However, the dynamo instability has a higher growth rate than the hydrodynamic one, so that the nonlinear regime can be reached with negligible departures from the basic ABC flow. In the nonlinear regime, two distinct classes of behaviour are observed. In one, the exponential growth of the magnetic field saturates and the dynamo settles to a stationary state whereby the magnetic energy is maintained indefinitely. In the other the velocity field evolves to a nondynamo state and the magnetic field, following an initial amplification, decays to zero. The transition from the dynamo to the nondynamo state can be mediated by the hydrodynamic instability or by magnetic perturbations. The properties of the ensuing nonlinear dynamo states are investigated for different parameter values. The implications for a general theory of nonlinear dynamos are discussed.

  20. Exploring the North-South asymmetry in a Babcock-Leighton dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Belucz , B.; Forgács-Dajka, E.; Dikpati, M.

    2013-11-01

    We present here a Babcock-Leighton, kinematic flux-transport solar dynamo model, based on an earlier model (Dikpati & Charbonneau 1999), operating in a full spherical shell of the convection zone, to investigate the properties of North-South (N-S) asymmetry. We develop a C language code for this model in order to examine the N-S asymmetry. The main components of the model are a solar-like internal differential rotation profile, a depth-dependent diffusivity, and a Babcock-Leighton type poloidal source. Our purpose here is to study what kind of North-South asymmetry is produced in solar cycle patterns when the Babcock-Leighton poloidal source is asymmetric between North and South. We present our solutions in the form of model butterfly diagrams in which we plot the tachocline toroidal field and surface radial field, and compare them with observations. We find that the dynamos in the northern and southern hemispheres operate nearly independently - if the Babcock-Leighton source is much smaller in the southern hemisphere with respect to that in the northern hemisphere, the dynamo in the southern hemisphere gets weaker and weaker, but the dynamo in the northern hemisphere runs without being affected by the dynamo in the southern hemisphere.

  1. Ambipolar diffusion drifts and dynamos in turbulent gases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zweibel, Ellen G.

    1988-01-01

    Ambipolar drift in turbulent fluids are considered. Using mean-field electrodynamics, a two-scale theory originally used to study hydromagnetic dynamos, it is shown that magnetic fields can be advected by small-scale magnetosonic (compressional) turbulence or generated by Alfvenic (helical) turbulence. A simple dynamo theory is made and is compared with standard theories in which dissipation is caused by turbulent diffusion. The redistribution of magnetic flux in interstellar clouds is also discussed.

  2. Dynamo onset as a first-order transition: lessons from a shell model for magnetohydrodynamics.

    PubMed

    Sahoo, Ganapati; Mitra, Dhrubaditya; Pandit, Rahul

    2010-03-01

    We carry out systematic and high-resolution studies of dynamo action in a shell model for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence over wide ranges of the magnetic Prandtl number PrM and the magnetic Reynolds number ReM. Our study suggests that it is natural to think of dynamo onset as a nonequilibrium first-order phase transition between two different turbulent, but statistically steady, states. The ratio of the magnetic and kinetic energies is a convenient order parameter for this transition. By using this order parameter, we obtain the stability diagram (or nonequilibrium phase diagram) for dynamo formation in our MHD shell model in the (PrM-1,ReM) plane. The dynamo boundary, which separates dynamo and no-dynamo regions, appears to have a fractal character. We obtain a hysteretic behavior of the order parameter across this boundary and suggestions of nucleation-type phenomena.

  3. High-quality electron beam generation in a proton-driven hollow plasma wakefield accelerator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Y.; Xia, G.; Lotov, K. V.; Sosedkin, A. P.; Hanahoe, K.; Mete-Apsimon, O.

    2017-10-01

    Simulations of proton-driven plasma wakefield accelerators have demonstrated substantially higher accelerating gradients compared to conventional accelerators and the viability of accelerating electrons to the energy frontier in a single plasma stage. However, due to the strong intrinsic transverse fields varying both radially and in time, the witness beam quality is still far from suitable for practical application in future colliders. Here we demonstrate the efficient acceleration of electrons in proton-driven wakefields in a hollow plasma channel. In this regime, the witness bunch is positioned in the region with a strong accelerating field, free from plasma electrons and ions. We show that the electron beam carrying the charge of about 10% of 1 TeV proton driver charge can be accelerated to 0.6 TeV with a preserved normalized emittance in a single channel of 700 m. This high-quality and high-charge beam may pave the way for the development of future plasma-based energy frontier colliders.

  4. Instability-driven electromagnetic fields in coronal plasmas

    DOE PAGES

    Manuel, M. J.-E.; Li, C. K.; Seguin, F. H.; ...

    2013-04-15

    Filamentary electromagnetic fields previously observed in the coronae of laser-driven spherical targets [F. H. S eguin et al., Phys. Plasma. 19, 012701 (2012)] have been further investigated in laser irradiated plastic foils. Face-on proton-radiography provides an axial view of these filaments and shows coherent cellular structure regardless of initial foil-surface conditions. The observed cellular fields are shown to have an approximately constant scale size of 210 lm throughout the plasma evolution. A discussion of possible field-generation mechanisms is provided and it is demonstrated that the likely source of the cellular field structure is the magnetothermal instability. Using predicted temperature andmore » density profiles, the fastest growing modes of this instability were found to be slowly varying in time and consistent with the observed cellular size.« less

  5. Dynamo threshold detection in the von Kármán sodium experiment.

    PubMed

    Miralles, Sophie; Bonnefoy, Nicolas; Bourgoin, Mickael; Odier, Philippe; Pinton, Jean-François; Plihon, Nicolas; Verhille, Gautier; Boisson, Jean; Daviaud, François; Dubrulle, Bérengère

    2013-07-01

    Predicting dynamo self-generation in liquid metal experiments has been an ongoing question for many years. In contrast to simple dynamical systems for which reliable techniques have been developed, the ability to predict the dynamo capacity of a flow and the estimate of the corresponding critical value of the magnetic Reynolds number (the control parameter of the instability) has been elusive, partly due to the high level of turbulent fluctuations of flows in such experiments (with kinetic Reynolds numbers in excess of 10(6)). We address these issues here, using the von Kármán sodium experiment and studying its response to an externally applied magnetic field. We first show that a dynamo threshold can be estimated from analysis related to critical slowing down and susceptibility divergence, in configurations for which dynamo action is indeed observed. These approaches are then applied to flow configurations that have failed to self-generate magnetic fields within operational limits, and we quantify the dynamo capacity of these configurations.

  6. Energetic-ion-driven global instabilities in stellarator/helical plasmas and comparison with tokamak plasmas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Toi, K.; Ogawa, K.; Isobe, M.

    2011-01-01

    Comprehensive understanding of energetic-ion-driven global instabilities such as Alfven eigenmodes (AEs) and their impact on energetic ions and bulk plasma is crucially important for tokamak and stellarator/helical plasmas and in the future for deuterium-tritium (DT) burning plasma experiments. Various types of global modes and their associated enhanced energetic ion transport are commonly observed in toroidal plasmas. Toroidicity-induced AEs and ellipticity-induced AEs, whose gaps are generated through poloidal mode coupling, are observed in both tokamak and stellarator/helical plasmas. Global AEs and reversed shear AEs, where toroidal couplings are not as dominant were also observed in those plasmas. Helicity induced AEs thatmore » exist only in 3D plasmas are observed in the large helical device (LHD) and Wendelstein 7 Advanced Stellarator plasmas. In addition, the geodesic acoustic mode that comes from plasma compressibility is destabilized by energetic ions in both tokamak and LHD plasmas. Nonlinear interaction of these modes and their influence on the confinement of the bulk plasma as well as energetic ions are observed in both plasmas. In this paper, the similarities and differences in these instabilities and their consequences for tokamak and stellarator/helical plasmas are summarized through comparison with the data sets obtained in LHD. In particular, this paper focuses on the differences caused by the rotational transform profile and the 2D or 3D geometrical structure of the plasma equilibrium. Important issues left for future study are listed.« less

  7. An Imposed Dynamo Current Drive Experiment: Demonstration of Confinement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jarboe, Thomas; Hansen, Chris; Hossack, Aaron; Marklin, George; Morgan, Kyle; Nelson, Brian; Sutherland, Derek; Victor, Brian

    2014-10-01

    An experiment for studying and developing the efficient sustainment of a spheromak with sufficient confinement (current-drive power heats the plasma to its stability β-limit) and in the keV temperature range is discussed. A high- β spheromak sustained by imposed dynamo current drive (IDCD) is justified because: previous transient experiments showed sufficient confinement in the keV range with no external toroidal field coil; recent results on HIT-SI show sustainment with sufficient confinement at low temperature; the potential of IDCD of solving other fusion issues; a very attractive reactor concept; and the general need for efficient current drive in magnetic fusion. The design of a 0.55 m minor radius machine with the required density control, wall loading, and neutral shielding for a 2 s pulse is presented. Peak temperatures of 1 keV and toroidal currents of 1.35 MA and 16% wall-normalized plasma beta are envisioned. The experiment is large enough to address the key issues yet small enough for rapid modification and for extended MHD modeling of startup and code validation.

  8. Scaling and intermittency in incoherent α-shear dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitra, Dhrubaditya; Brandenburg, Axel

    2012-03-01

    We consider mean-field dynamo models with fluctuating α effect, both with and without large-scale shear. The α effect is chosen to be Gaussian white noise with zero mean and a given covariance. In the presence of shear, we show analytically that (in infinitely large domains) the mean-squared magnetic field shows exponential growth. The growth rate of the fastest growing mode is proportional to the shear rate. This result agrees with earlier numerical results of Yousef et al. and the recent analytical treatment by Heinemann, McWilliams & Schekochihin who use a method different from ours. In the absence of shear, an incoherent α2 dynamo may also be possible. We further show by explicit calculation of the growth rate of third- and fourth-order moments of the magnetic field that the probability density function of the mean magnetic field generated by this dynamo is non-Gaussian.

  9. The cross-over to magnetostrophic convection in planetary dynamo systems

    PubMed Central

    King, E. M.

    2017-01-01

    Global scale magnetostrophic balance, in which Lorentz and Coriolis forces comprise the leading-order force balance, has long been thought to describe the natural state of planetary dynamo systems. This argument arises from consideration of the linear theory of rotating magnetoconvection. Here we test this long-held tenet by directly comparing linear predictions against dynamo modelling results. This comparison shows that dynamo modelling results are not typically in the global magnetostrophic state predicted by linear theory. Then, in order to estimate at what scale (if any) magnetostrophic balance will arise in nonlinear dynamo systems, we carry out a simple scaling analysis of the Elsasser number Λ, yielding an improved estimate of the ratio of Lorentz and Coriolis forces. From this, we deduce that there is a magnetostrophic cross-over length scale, LX≈(Λo2/Rmo)D, where Λo is the linear (or traditional) Elsasser number, Rmo is the system scale magnetic Reynolds number and D is the length scale of the system. On scales well above LX, magnetostrophic convection dynamics should not be possible. Only on scales smaller than LX should it be possible for the convective behaviours to follow the predictions for the magnetostrophic branch of convection. Because LX is significantly smaller than the system scale in most dynamo models, their large-scale flows should be quasi-geostrophic, as is confirmed in many dynamo simulations. Estimating Λo≃1 and Rmo≃103 in Earth’s core, the cross-over scale is approximately 1/1000 that of the system scale, suggesting that magnetostrophic convection dynamics exists in the core only on small scales below those that can be characterized by geomagnetic observations. PMID:28413338

  10. Small-scale dynamo at low magnetic Prandtl numbers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schober, Jennifer; Schleicher, Dominik; Bovino, Stefano; Klessen, Ralf S.

    2012-12-01

    The present-day Universe is highly magnetized, even though the first magnetic seed fields were most probably extremely weak. To explain the growth of the magnetic field strength over many orders of magnitude, fast amplification processes need to operate. The most efficient mechanism known today is the small-scale dynamo, which converts turbulent kinetic energy into magnetic energy leading to an exponential growth of the magnetic field. The efficiency of the dynamo depends on the type of turbulence indicated by the slope of the turbulence spectrum v(ℓ)∝ℓϑ, where v(ℓ) is the eddy velocity at a scale ℓ. We explore turbulent spectra ranging from incompressible Kolmogorov turbulence with ϑ=1/3 to highly compressible Burgers turbulence with ϑ=1/2. In this work, we analyze the properties of the small-scale dynamo for low magnetic Prandtl numbers Pm, which denotes the ratio of the magnetic Reynolds number, Rm, to the hydrodynamical one, Re. We solve the Kazantsev equation, which describes the evolution of the small-scale magnetic field, using the WKB approximation. In the limit of low magnetic Prandtl numbers, the growth rate is proportional to Rm(1-ϑ)/(1+ϑ). We furthermore discuss the critical magnetic Reynolds number Rmcrit, which is required for small-scale dynamo action. The value of Rmcrit is roughly 100 for Kolmogorov turbulence and 2700 for Burgers. Furthermore, we discuss that Rmcrit provides a stronger constraint in the limit of low Pm than it does for large Pm. We conclude that the small-scale dynamo can operate in the regime of low magnetic Prandtl numbers if the magnetic Reynolds number is large enough. Thus, the magnetic field amplification on small scales can take place in a broad range of physical environments and amplify week magnetic seed fields on short time scales.

  11. Small-scale dynamo at low magnetic Prandtl numbers.

    PubMed

    Schober, Jennifer; Schleicher, Dominik; Bovino, Stefano; Klessen, Ralf S

    2012-12-01

    The present-day Universe is highly magnetized, even though the first magnetic seed fields were most probably extremely weak. To explain the growth of the magnetic field strength over many orders of magnitude, fast amplification processes need to operate. The most efficient mechanism known today is the small-scale dynamo, which converts turbulent kinetic energy into magnetic energy leading to an exponential growth of the magnetic field. The efficiency of the dynamo depends on the type of turbulence indicated by the slope of the turbulence spectrum v(ℓ)∝ℓ^{ϑ}, where v(ℓ) is the eddy velocity at a scale ℓ. We explore turbulent spectra ranging from incompressible Kolmogorov turbulence with ϑ=1/3 to highly compressible Burgers turbulence with ϑ=1/2. In this work, we analyze the properties of the small-scale dynamo for low magnetic Prandtl numbers Pm, which denotes the ratio of the magnetic Reynolds number, Rm, to the hydrodynamical one, Re. We solve the Kazantsev equation, which describes the evolution of the small-scale magnetic field, using the WKB approximation. In the limit of low magnetic Prandtl numbers, the growth rate is proportional to Rm^{(1-ϑ)/(1+ϑ)}. We furthermore discuss the critical magnetic Reynolds number Rm_{crit}, which is required for small-scale dynamo action. The value of Rm_{crit} is roughly 100 for Kolmogorov turbulence and 2700 for Burgers. Furthermore, we discuss that Rm_{crit} provides a stronger constraint in the limit of low Pm than it does for large Pm. We conclude that the small-scale dynamo can operate in the regime of low magnetic Prandtl numbers if the magnetic Reynolds number is large enough. Thus, the magnetic field amplification on small scales can take place in a broad range of physical environments and amplify week magnetic seed fields on short time scales.

  12. Toward an asymptotic behaviour of the ABC dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouya, Ismaël; Dormy, Emmanuel

    2015-04-01

    The ABC flow was originally introduced by Arnol'd to investigate Lagrangian chaos. It soon became the prototype example to illustrate magnetic-field amplification via fast dynamo action, i.e. dynamo action exhibiting magnetic-field amplification on a typical timescale independent of the electrical resistivity of the medium. Even though this flow is the most classical example for this important class of dynamos (with application to large-scale astrophysical objects), it was recently pointed out (Bouya Ismaël and Dormy Emmanuel, Phys. Fluids, 25 (2013) 037103) that the fast dynamo nature of this flow was unclear, as the growth rate still depended on the magnetic Reynolds number at the largest values available so far (\\text{Rm} = 25000) . Using state-of-the-art high-performance computing, we present high-resolution simulations (up to 40963) and extend the value of \\text{Rm} up to 5\\cdot105 . Interestingly, even at these huge values, the growth rate of the leading eigenmode still depends on the controlling parameter and an asymptotic regime is not reached yet. We show that the maximum growth rate is a decreasing function of \\text{Rm} for the largest values of \\text{Rm} we could achieve (as anticipated in the above-mentioned paper). Slowly damped oscillations might indicate either a new mode crossing or that the system is approaching the limit of an essential spectrum.

  13. Galerkin analysis of kinematic dynamos in the von Kármán geometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marié, L.; Normand, C.; Daviaud, F.

    2006-01-01

    We investigate dynamo action by solving the kinematic dynamo problem for velocity fields of the von Kármán type between two coaxial counter-rotating propellers in a cylinder. A Galerkin method is implemented that takes advantage of the symmetries of the flow and their subsequent influence on the nature of the magnetic field at the dynamo threshold. Distinct modes of instability have been identified that differ by their spatial and temporal behaviors. Our calculations give the result that a stationary and antisymmetric mode prevails at the dynamo threshold. We then present a quantitative analysis of the results based on the parametric study of four interaction coefficients obtained by reduction of our initially large eigenvalue problem. We propose these coefficients to measure the relative importance of the different mechanisms at play in the von Kármán kinematic dynamo.

  14. Generation of a dynamo magnetic field in a protoplanetary accretion disk

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, T.; Levy, E. H.

    1987-01-01

    A new computational technique is developed that allows realistic calculations of dynamo magnetic field generation in disk geometries corresponding to protoplanetary and protostellar accretion disks. The approach is of sufficient generality to allow, in the future, a wide class of accretion disk problems to be solved. Here, basic modes of a disk dynamo are calculated. Spatially localized oscillatory states are found to occur in Keplerain disks. A physical interpretation is given that argues that spatially localized fields of the type found in these calculations constitute the basic modes of a Keplerian disk dynamo.

  15. Dynamo action in stratified convection with overshoot

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nordlund, Ake; Brandenburg, Axel; Jennings, Richard L.; Rieutord, Michel; Ruokolainen, Juha; Stein, Robert F.; Tuominen, Ilkka

    1992-01-01

    Results are presented from direct simulations of turbulent compressible hydromagnetic convection above a stable overshoot layer. Spontaneous dynamo action occurs followed by saturation, with most of the generated magnetic field appearing as coherent flux tubes in the vicinity of strong downdrafts, where both the generation and destruction of magnetic field is most vigorous. Whether or not this field is amplified depends on the sizes of the magnetic Reynolds and magnetic Prandtl numbers. Joule dissipation is balanced mainly by the work done against the magnetic curvature force. It is this curvature force which is also responsible for the saturation of the dynamo.

  16. Earth's dynamo limit of predictability controlled by magnetic dissipation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lhuillier, Florian; Aubert, Julien; Hulot, Gauthier

    2011-08-01

    To constrain the forecast horizon of geomagnetic data assimilation, it is of interest to quantify the range of predictability of the geodynamo. Following earlier work in the field of dynamic meteorology, we investigate the sensitivity of numerical dynamos to various perturbations applied to the magnetic, velocity and temperature fields. These perturbations result in some errors, which affect all fields in the same relative way, and grow at the same exponential rate λ=τ-1e, independent of the type and the amplitude of perturbation. Errors produced by the limited resolution of numerical dynamos are also shown to produce a similar amplification, with the same exponential rate. Exploring various possible scaling laws, we demonstrate that the growth rate is mainly proportional to an advection timescale. To better understand the mechanism responsible for the error amplification, we next compare these growth rates with two other dynamo outputs which display a similar dependence on advection: the inverse τ-1SV of the secular-variation timescale, characterizing the secular variation of the observable field produced by these dynamos; and the inverse (τmagdiss)-1 of the magnetic dissipation time, characterizing the rate at which magnetic energy is produced to compensate for Ohmic dissipation in these dynamos. The possible role of viscous dissipation is also discussed via the inverse (τkindiss)-1 of the analogous viscous dissipation time, characterizing the rate at which kinetic energy is produced to compensate for viscous dissipation. We conclude that τe tends to equate τmagdiss for dynamos operating in a turbulent regime with low enough Ekman number, and such that τmagdiss < τkindiss. As these conditions are met in the Earth's outer core, we suggest that τe is controlled by magnetic dissipation, leading to a value τe=τmagdiss≈ 30 yr. We finally discuss the consequences of our results for the practical limit of predictability of the geodynamo.

  17. The role of large eddy fluctuations in the magnetic dynamics of the Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaplan, Elliot

    The Madison Dynamo Experiment (MDE), a liquid sodium magnetohydrodynamics experiment in a 1 m diameter sphere at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, had measured [in Spence et al., 2006] diamagnetic electrical currents in the experiment that violated an anti dynamo theorem for axisymmetric flow. The diamagnetic currents were instead attributed to nonaxisymmetric turbulent fluctuations. The experimental apparatus has been modified to reduce the strength of the large-scale turbulence driven by the shear layer in its flow. A 7.62 cm baffle was affixed to the equator of the machine to stabilize the shear layer. This reduction has correlated with a decrease in the magnetic fields, induced by the flow, which had been associated with the α and β effects of mean-field magnetohydrodynamics. The research presented herein presents the experimental evidence for reduced fluctuations and reduced mean field emfs, and provides a theoretical framework—based upon mean-field MHD—that connects the observations. The shapes of the large-scale velocity fluctuations are inferred by the spectra of induced magnetic fluctuations and measured in a kinematically similar water experiment. The Bullard and Gellman [1954] formalism demonstrates that the large-scale velocity fluctuations that are inhibited by the baffle can beat with the large-scale magnetic fluctuations that they produce to generate a mean-field emf of the sort measured in Spence et al. [2006]. This shows that the reduction of these large-scale eddies has brought the MDE closer to exciting a dynamo magnetic field. We also examine the mean-field like effects of large-scale (stable) eddies in the Dudley-James [1989] two-vortex dynamo (that the MDE was based upon). Rotating the axis of symmetry redefines the problem from one of an axisymmetric flow exciting a nonaxisymmetric field to one of a combination of axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric flows exciting a predominantly axisymmetric magnetic

  18. Dynamo Action in a Quasi-Keplerian Taylor-Couette Flow.

    PubMed

    Guseva, Anna; Hollerbach, Rainer; Willis, Ashley P; Avila, Marc

    2017-10-20

    We numerically compute the flow of an electrically conducting fluid in a Taylor-Couette geometry where the rotation rates of the inner and outer cylinders satisfy Ω_{o}/Ω_{i}=(r_{o}/r_{i})^{-3/2}. In this quasi-Keplerian regime, a nonmagnetic system would be Rayleigh stable for all Reynolds numbers Re, and the resulting purely azimuthal flow incapable of kinematic dynamo action for all magnetic Reynolds numbers Rm. For Re = 10^{4} and Rm=10^{5}, we demonstrate the existence of a finite-amplitude dynamo, whereby a suitable initial condition yields mutually sustaining turbulence and magnetic fields, even though neither could exist without the other. This dynamo solution results in significantly increased outward angular momentum transport, with the bulk of the transport being by Maxwell rather than Reynolds stresses.

  19. An integrated model for Jupiter's dynamo action and mean jet dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gastine, Thomas; Wicht, Johannes; Duarte, Lucia; Heimpel, Moritz

    2014-05-01

    Data from various space crafts revealed that Jupiter's large scale interior magnetic field is very Earth-like. This is surprising since numerical simulations have demonstrated that, for example, the radial dependence of density, electrical conductivity and other physical properties, which is only mild in the iron cores of terrestrial planets but very drastic in gas planets, can significantly affect the interior dynamics. Jupiter's dynamo action is thought to take place in the deeper envelope where hydrogen, the main constituent of Jupiter's atmosphere, assumes metallic properties. The potential interaction between the observed zonal jets and the deeper dynamo region is an unresolved problem with important consequences for the magnetic field generation. Here we present the first numerical simulation that is based on recent interior models and covers 99% of the planetary radius (below the 1 bar level). A steep decease in the electrical conductivity over the outer 10% in radius allowed us to model both the deeper metallic region and the outer molecular layer in an integrated approach. The magnetic field very closely reproduces Jupiter's known large scale field. A strong equatorial zonal jet remains constrained to the molecular layer while higher latitude jets are suppressed by Lorentz forces. This suggests that Jupiter's higher latitude jets remain shallow and are driven by an additional effect not captured in our deep convection model. The dynamo action of the equatorial jet produces a band of magnetic field located around the equator. The unprecedented magnetic field resolution expected from the Juno mission will allow to resolve this feature allowing a direct detection of the equatorial jet dynamics at depth. Typical secular variation times scales amount to around 750 yr for the dipole contribution but decrease to about 5 yr at the expected Juno resolution (spherical harmonic degree 20). At a nominal mission duration of one year Juno should therefore be able to

  20. Editorial: Focus on Laser- and Beam-Driven Plasma Accelerators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joshi, Chan; Malka, Victor

    2010-04-01

    The ability of short but intense laser pulses to generate high-energy electrons and ions from gaseous and solid targets has been well known since the early days of the laser fusion program. However, during the past decade there has been an explosion of experimental and theoretical activity in this area of laser-matter interaction, driven by the prospect of realizing table-top plasma accelerators for research, medical and industrial uses, and also relatively small and inexpensive plasma accelerators for high-energy physics at the frontier of particle physics. In this focus issue on laser- and beam-driven plasma accelerators, the latest advances in this field are described. Focus on Laser- and Beam-Driven Plasma Accelerators Contents Slow wave plasma structures for direct electron acceleration B D Layer, J P Palastro, A G York, T M Antonsen and H M Milchberg Cold injection for electron wakefield acceleration X Davoine, A Beck, A Lifschitz, V Malka and E Lefebvre Enhanced proton flux in the MeV range by defocused laser irradiation J S Green, D C Carroll, C Brenner, B Dromey, P S Foster, S Kar, Y T Li, K Markey, P McKenna, D Neely, A P L Robinson, M J V Streeter, M Tolley, C-G Wahlström, M H Xu and M Zepf Dose-dependent biological damage of tumour cells by laser-accelerated proton beams S D Kraft, C Richter, K Zeil, M Baumann, E Beyreuther, S Bock, M Bussmann, T E Cowan, Y Dammene, W Enghardt, U Helbig, L Karsch, T Kluge, L Laschinsky, E Lessmann, J Metzkes, D Naumburger, R Sauerbrey, M. Scḧrer, M Sobiella, J Woithe, U Schramm and J Pawelke The optimum plasma density for plasma wakefield excitation in the blowout regime W Lu, W An, M Zhou, C Joshi, C Huang and W B Mori Plasma wakefield acceleration experiments at FACET M J Hogan, T O Raubenheimer, A Seryi, P Muggli, T Katsouleas, C Huang, W Lu, W An, K A Marsh, W B Mori, C E Clayton and C Joshi Electron trapping and acceleration on a downward density ramp: a two-stage approach R M G M Trines, R Bingham, Z Najmudin

  1. Non-axisymmetric α2Ω-dynamo waves in thin stellar shells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bassom, Andrew P.; Kuzanyan, Kirill M.; Sokoloff, Dmitry; Soward, Andrew M.

    2005-04-01

    Linear α2Ω-dynamo waves are investigated in a thin turbulent, differentially rotating convective stellar shell. A simplified one-dimensional model is considered and an asymptotic solution constructed based on the small aspect ratio of the shell. In a previous paper Griffiths et al. (Griffiths, G.L., Bassom, A.P., Soward, A.M. and Kuzanyan, K.M., Nonlinear α2Ω-dynamo waves in stellar shells, Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dynam., 2001, 94, 85-133) considered the modulation of dynamo waves, linked to a latitudinal-dependent local α-effect and radial gradient of the zonal shear flow. These effects are measured at latitude θ by the magnetic Reynolds numbers Rαf(θ) and RΩg(θ). The modulated Parker wave, which propagates towards the equator, is localised at some mid-latitude θp under a Gaussian envelope. In this article, we include the influence of a latitudinal-dependent zonal flow possessing angular velocity Ω*(θ) and consider the possibility of non-axisymmetric dynamo waves with azimuthal wave number m. We find that the critical dynamo number Dc = RαRΩ is minimised by axisymmetric modes in the αΩ-limit (Rα→0). On the other hand, when Rα ≠ 0 there may exist a band of wave numbers 0 < m < m† for which the non-axisymmetric modes have a smaller Dc than in the axisymmetric case. Here m† is regarded as a continuous function of Rα with the property m†→0 as Rα→0 and the band is only non-empty when m† >1, which happens for sufficiently large Rα. The preference for non-axisymmetric modes is possible because the wind-up of the non-axisymmetric structures can be compensated by phase mixing inherent to the α2Ω-dynamo. For parameter values resembling solar conditions, the Parker wave of maximum dynamo activity at latitude θp not only propagates equatorwards but also westwards relative to the local angular velocity Ω*(θp). Since the critical dynamo number Dc = RαRΩ is O (1) for small Rα, the condition m

  2. Paleomagnetic Records of Ancient Core Dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tikoo, S. M.

    2018-05-01

    We review paleomagnetic results that constrain the field intensities and longevities of ancient core dynamos operating within the Moon as well as within the parent bodies of several meteorite classes.

  3. The cross-over to magnetostrophic convection in planetary dynamo systems.

    PubMed

    Aurnou, J M; King, E M

    2017-03-01

    Global scale magnetostrophic balance, in which Lorentz and Coriolis forces comprise the leading-order force balance, has long been thought to describe the natural state of planetary dynamo systems. This argument arises from consideration of the linear theory of rotating magnetoconvection. Here we test this long-held tenet by directly comparing linear predictions against dynamo modelling results. This comparison shows that dynamo modelling results are not typically in the global magnetostrophic state predicted by linear theory. Then, in order to estimate at what scale (if any) magnetostrophic balance will arise in nonlinear dynamo systems, we carry out a simple scaling analysis of the Elsasser number Λ , yielding an improved estimate of the ratio of Lorentz and Coriolis forces. From this, we deduce that there is a magnetostrophic cross-over length scale, [Formula: see text], where Λ o is the linear (or traditional) Elsasser number, Rm o is the system scale magnetic Reynolds number and D is the length scale of the system. On scales well above [Formula: see text], magnetostrophic convection dynamics should not be possible. Only on scales smaller than [Formula: see text] should it be possible for the convective behaviours to follow the predictions for the magnetostrophic branch of convection. Because [Formula: see text] is significantly smaller than the system scale in most dynamo models, their large-scale flows should be quasi-geostrophic, as is confirmed in many dynamo simulations. Estimating Λ o ≃1 and Rm o ≃10 3 in Earth's core, the cross-over scale is approximately 1/1000 that of the system scale, suggesting that magnetostrophic convection dynamics exists in the core only on small scales below those that can be characterized by geomagnetic observations.

  4. Measurements of dynamo electric field and momentum transport induced by fluctuations on HIST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirono, H.; Hanao, T.; Hyobu, T.; Ito, K.; Matsumoto, K.; Nakayama, T.; Kikuchi, Y.; Fukumoto, N.; Nagata, M.

    2012-10-01

    Coaxial Helicity injection (CHI) is an efficient current-drive method used in spheromak and spherical torus (ST) experiments. It is an important issue to investigate dynamo effect to explore CHI current drive mechanisms. To establish the dynamo model with two-fluid Hall effects, we verify the parallel mean-field Ohm's law balance. The spatial profiles of the MHD/Hall dynamo electric fields are measured by using Mach probe and Hall probe involving 3-axis magnetic pick-up coils. The MHD/Hall fluctuation-induced electromotive forces are large enough to sustain the mean toroidal current against the resistive decay. We have measured the electron temperature and the density with great accuracy by using a new electrostatic probe with voltage sweeping. The result shows that the electron temperature is high in the core region and low in the central open flux column (OFC), and the electron density is highest in the OFC region. The Hall dynamo becomes more dominant in a lower density region compared to the MHD dynamo. In addition, the fluctuation-induced Maxwell and Reynolds stresses are calculated to examine the fast radial transport of momentum from the OFC to the core region during the dynamo drive.

  5. On the Nocturnal Downward and Westward Equatorial Ionospheric Plasma Drifts During the 17 March 2015 Geomagnetic Storm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bagiya, Mala S.; Vichare, Geeta; Sinha, A. K.; Sripathi, S.

    2018-02-01

    During quiet period, the nocturnal equatorial ionospheric plasma drifts eastward in the zonal direction and downward in the vertical direction. This quiet time drift pattern could be understood through dynamo processes in the nighttime equatorial ionosphere. The present case study reports the nocturnal simultaneous occurrence of the vertically downward and zonally westward plasma drifts over the Indian latitudes during the geomagnetic storm of 17 March 2015. After 17:00 UT ( 22:10 local time), the vertical plasma drift became downward and coincided with the westward zonal drift, a rarely observed feature of low latitude plasma drifts. The vertical drift turned upward after 18:00 UT, while the zonal drift became eastward. We mainly emphasize here the distinct bipolar type variations of vertical and zonal plasma drifts observed around 18:00 UT. We explain the vertical plasma drift in terms of the competing effects between the storm time prompt penetration and disturbance dynamo electric fields. Whereas, the westward drift is attributed to the storm time local electrodynamical changes mainly through the disturbance dynamo field in addition to the vertical Pedersen current arising from the spatial (longitudinal) gradient of the field aligned Pedersen conductivity.

  6. The stability of nonlinear dynamos and the limited role of kinematic growth rates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brandenburg, A.; Krause, F.; Meinel, R.; Moss, D.; Tuominen, I.

    1989-04-01

    The growth rate behavior of several kinematic dynamo models was investigated in the context of the observation that, as a rule, a magnetic field of a single symmetry dominates in the sun and other cosmic objects. For all dynamo models considered, it is shown that, as the dynamo numbers increase, the kinematic growth rates of fields of different parities are asymptotically equal, indicating that growth rates do not dominate the final state of the field. The possibility that the stability of different solutions of nonlinear dynamos determines the final state was then investigated. Dynamo models in spherical geometry were found in which both symmetric and antisymmetric solutions are stable. The kind of symmetry finally established depends in these cases on the initial conditions, i.e., on the history of the object. It is noted that the basic mechanism stabilizing or destabilizing different solutions is not well understood.

  7. Intermittent behavior of galactic dynamo activities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ko, C. M.; Parker, E. N.

    1989-01-01

    Recent observations by Beck and Golla of far-infrared and radio continuum emission from nearby spiral galaxies suggest that the galactic magnetic field strength is connected to the current star formation rate. The role of star formation on the generation of large-scale galactic magnetic field is studied in this paper. Using a simple galactic model, it is shown how the galactic dynamo depends strongly on the turbulent velocity of the interstellar medium. When the star formation efficiency is high, the ISM is churned which in turn amplifies the galactic magnetic field. Between active star formation epochs, the magnetic field is in dormant state and decays at a negligible rate. If density waves trigger star formation, then they also turn on the otherwise dormant dynamo.

  8. A wet, heterogeneous lunar interior: Lower mantle and core dynamo evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, A. J.; Zuber, M. T.; Weiss, B. P.; Tikoo, S. M.

    2014-05-01

    While recent analyses of lunar samples indicate the Moon had a core dynamo from at least 4.2-3.56 Ga, mantle convection models of the Moon yield inadequate heat flux at the core-mantle boundary to sustain thermal core convection for such a long time. Past investigations of lunar dynamos have focused on a generally homogeneous, relatively dry Moon, while an initial compositionally stratified mantle is the expected consequence of a postaccretionary lunar magma ocean. Furthermore, recent re-examination of Apollo samples and geophysical data suggests that the Moon contains at least some regions with high water content. Using a finite element model, we investigate the possible consequences of a heterogeneously wet, compositionally stratified interior for the evolution of the Moon. We find that a postoverturn model of mantle cumulates could result in a core heat flux sufficiently high to sustain a dynamo through 2.5 Ga and a maximum surface, dipolar magnetic field strength of less than 1 μT for a 350-km core and near ˜2 μT for a 450-km core. We find that if water was transported or retained preferentially in the deep interior, it would have played a significant role in transporting heat out of the deep interior and reducing the lower mantle temperature. Thus, water, if enriched in the lower mantle, could have influenced core dynamo timing by over 1.0 Gyr and enhanced the vigor of a lunar core dynamo. Our results demonstrate the plausibility of a convective lunar core dynamo even beyond the period currently indicated by the Apollo samples.

  9. Holistic Framework for Understanding the Evolution of Stellar Coronal Plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blackman, Eric; Owen, James

    2017-10-01

    Understanding how how the coronal X-ray activity of stars depends on magnetic field strength, dynamos, rotation, mass loss and age is of interest not only for the basic plasma physics of stars, but also for stellar age determination and implications for habitability. Approximate relations between field strength, activity, spin down, mass loss and age have been measured, but remain to be understood theoretically. The saturation of plasma activity of the fastest rotators and the decoupling of spin-down from magnetic field strengths for slow rotators are particular puzzles. To explain the observed trends, I discuss our minimalist holistic theoretical framework that combines a Parker wind with (i) magnetic dynamo sourcing of thermal energy, wind energy and x-ray luminosity (ii) dynamo saturation based on magnetic helicity conservation and shear-induced eddy shredding and (iii) coronal equilibrium to determine how the magnetic energy divides into wind, x-ray, and thermal conduction sinks. We find conduction to be important for older stars where it can reduce the efficacy of wind angular momentum loss, offering an alternative explanation of this trend to those which require dynamo transitions. Overall, the framework shows promise and provides opportunity for further Grant NSF-AST1515648 is acknowledged.

  10. STELLAR DYNAMOS AND CYCLES FROM NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF CONVECTION

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dubé, Caroline; Charbonneau, Paul, E-mail: dube@astro.umontreal.ca, E-mail: paulchar@astro.umontreal.ca

    We present a series of kinematic axisymmetric mean-field αΩ dynamo models applicable to solar-type stars, for 20 distinct combinations of rotation rates and luminosities. The internal differential rotation and kinetic helicity profiles required to calculate source terms in these dynamo models are extracted from a corresponding series of global three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of solar/stellar convection, so that the resulting dynamo models end up involving only one free parameter, namely, the turbulent magnetic diffusivity in the convecting layers. Even though the αΩ dynamo solutions exhibit a broad range of morphologies, and sometimes even double cycles, these models manage to reproduce relativelymore » well the observationally inferred relationship between cycle period and rotation rate. On the other hand, they fail in capturing the observed increase of magnetic activity levels with rotation rate. This failure is due to our use of a simple algebraic α-quenching formula as the sole amplitude-limiting nonlinearity. This suggests that α-quenching is not the primary mechanism setting the amplitude of stellar magnetic cycles, with magnetic reaction on large-scale flows emerging as the more likely candidate. This inference is coherent with analyses of various recent global magnetohydrodynamical simulations of solar/stellar convection.« less

  11. SPONTANEOUS FORMATION OF SURFACE MAGNETIC STRUCTURE FROM LARGE-SCALE DYNAMO IN STRONGLY STRATIFIED CONVECTION

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Masada, Youhei; Sano, Takayoshi, E-mail: ymasada@auecc.aichi-edu.ac.jp, E-mail: sano@ile.osaka-u.ac.jp

    We report the first successful simulation of spontaneous formation of surface magnetic structures from a large-scale dynamo by strongly stratified thermal convection in Cartesian geometry. The large-scale dynamo observed in our strongly stratified model has physical properties similar to those in earlier weakly stratified convective dynamo simulations, indicating that the α {sup 2}-type mechanism is responsible for the dynamo. In addition to the large-scale dynamo, we find that large-scale structures of the vertical magnetic field are spontaneously formed in the convection zone (CZ) surface only in cases with a strongly stratified atmosphere. The organization of the vertical magnetic field proceedsmore » in the upper CZ within tens of convective turnover time and band-like bipolar structures recurrently appear in the dynamo-saturated stage. We consider several candidates to be possibly be the origin of the surface magnetic structure formation, and then suggest the existence of an as-yet-unknown mechanism for the self-organization of the large-scale magnetic structure, which should be inherent in the strongly stratified convective atmosphere.« less

  12. New Mexico Liquid Metal αω -dynamo experiment: Most Recent Progress

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Si, Jiahe; Sonnenfeld, Richard; Colgate, Art; Li, Hui

    2017-10-01

    The goal of the New Mexico Liquid Metal αω -dynamo experiment is to demonstrate a galactic dynamo can be generated through two phases, the ω-phase and α-phase by two semi-coherent flows in laboratory. We have demonstrated an 8-fold poloidal-to-toroidal flux amplification from differential rotation (the ω-effect) by minimizing turbulence in our apparatus. To demonstrate the α-effect, major upgrades are needed. The upgrades include building a helicity injection facility, mounting new 100hp motors and new sensors, designing a new data acquisition system capable of transmitting data from about 80 sensors in a high speed rotating frame with an overall 200kS/sec sampling rate. We hope the upgrade can be utilized to answer the question of whether a self-sustaining αω -dynamo can be implemented with a realistic lab fluid flow field, as well as to obtain more details to understand dynamo action in highly turbulent Couette flow.

  13. Babcock-Leighton solar dynamo: the role of downward pumping and the equatorward propagation of activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karak, Bidya Binay; Cameron, Robert

    2016-05-01

    We investigate the role of downward magnetic pumping near the surface using a kinematic Babcock-Leighton model. We find that the pumping causes the poloidal field to become predominately radial in the near-surface shear layer. This allows the negative radial shear in the near-surface layer to effectively act on the radial field to produce a toroidal field. Consequently, we observe a clear equatorward migration of the toroidal field at low latitudes even when there is no meridional flow in the deep CZ. We show a case where the period of a dynamo wave solution is approximately 11 years. Flux transport models are also shown with periods close to 11 years. Both the dynamo wave and flux transport dynamo are thus able to reproduce some of the observed features of solar cycle. The main difference between the two types of dynamo is the value of $\\alpha$ required to produce dynamo action. In both types of dynamo, the surface meridional flow helps to advect and build the polar field in high latitudes, while in flux transport dynamo the equatorward flow near the bottom of CZ advects toroidal field to cause the equatorward migration in butterfly wings and this advection makes the dynamo easier by transporting strong toroidal field to low latitudes where $\\alpha$ effect works. Another conclusion of our study is that the magnetic pumping suppresses the diffusion of fields through the photospheric surface which helps to achieve the 11-year dynamo cycle at a moderately larger value of magnetic diffusivity than has previously been used.

  14. Generation of a Large-scale Magnetic Field in a Convective Full-sphere Cross-helicity Dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pipin, V. V.; Yokoi, N.

    2018-05-01

    We study the effects of the cross-helicity in the full-sphere large-scale mean-field dynamo models of a 0.3 M ⊙ star rotating with a period of 10 days. In exploring several dynamo scenarios that stem from magnetic field generation by the cross-helicity effect, we found that the cross-helicity provides the natural generation mechanisms for the large-scale scale axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric magnetic field. Therefore, the rotating stars with convective envelopes can produce a large-scale magnetic field generated solely due to the turbulent cross-helicity effect (we call it γ 2-dynamo). Using mean-field models we compare the properties of the large-scale magnetic field organization that stems from dynamo mechanisms based on the kinetic helicity (associated with the α 2 dynamos) and cross-helicity. For the fully convective stars, both generation mechanisms can maintain large-scale dynamos even for the solid body rotation law inside the star. The nonaxisymmetric magnetic configurations become preferable when the cross-helicity and the α-effect operate independently of each other. This corresponds to situations with purely γ 2 or α 2 dynamos. The combination of these scenarios, i.e., the γ 2 α 2 dynamo, can generate preferably axisymmetric, dipole-like magnetic fields at strengths of several kGs. Thus, we found a new dynamo scenario that is able to generate an axisymmetric magnetic field even in the case of a solid body rotation of the star. We discuss the possible applications of our findings to stellar observations.

  15. MTF Driven by Plasma Liner Dynamically Formed by the Merging of Plasma Jets: An Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thio, Y. C. Francis; Eskridge, Richard; Martin, Adam; Smith, James; Lee, Michael; Rodgers, Stephen L. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    One approach for standoff delivery of the momentum flux for compressing the target in MTF consists of using a spherical array of plasma jets to form a spherical plasma shell imploding towards the center of a magnetized plasma, a compact toroid (Figure 1). A 3-year experiment (PLX-1) to explore the physics of forming a 2-D plasma liner (shell) by merging plasma jets is described. An overview showing how this 3-year project (PLX-1) fits into the program plan at the national and international level for realizing MTF for energy and propulsion is discussed. Assuming that there will be a parallel program in demonstrating and establishing the underlying physics principles of MTF using whatever liner is appropriate (e.g. a solid liner) with a goal of demonstrating breakeven by 2010, the current research effort at NASA MSFC attempts to complement such a program by addressing the issues of practical embodiment of MTF for propulsion. Successful conclusion of PLX-1 will be followed by a Physics Feasibility Experiment (PLX-2) for the Plasma Liner Driven MTF.

  16. Characteristics of a Direct Current-driven plasma jet operated in open air

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xuechen; Di, Cong; Jia, Pengying; Bao, Wenting

    2013-09-01

    A DC-driven plasma jet has been developed to generate a diffuse plasma plume by blowing argon into the ambient air. The plasma plume, showing a cup shape with a diameter of several centimeters at a higher voltage, is a pulsed discharge despite a DC voltage is applied. The pulse frequency is investigated as a function of the voltage under different gap widths and gas flow rates. Results show that plasma bullets propagate from the hollow needle to the plate electrode by spatially resolved measurement. A supposition about non-electroneutral trail of the streamer is proposed to interpret these experimental phenomena.

  17. Turbulent transport coefficients in spherical wedge dynamo simulations of solar-like stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Warnecke, J.; Rheinhardt, M.; Tuomisto, S.; Käpylä, P. J.; Käpylä, M. J.; Brandenburg, A.

    2018-01-01

    Aims: We investigate dynamo action in global compressible solar-like convective dynamos in the framework of mean-field theory. Methods: We simulate a solar-type star in a wedge-shaped spherical shell, where the interplay between convection and rotation self-consistently drives a large-scale dynamo. To analyze the dynamo mechanism we apply the test-field method for azimuthally (φ) averaged fields to determine the 27 turbulent transport coefficients of the electromotive force, of which six are related to the α tensor. This method has previously been used either in simulations in Cartesian coordinates or in the geodynamo context and is applied here for the first time to fully compressible simulations of solar-like dynamos. Results: We find that the φφ-component of the α tensor does not follow the profile expected from that of kinetic helicity. The turbulent pumping velocities significantly alter the effective mean flows acting on the magnetic field and therefore challenge the flux transport dynamo concept. All coefficients are significantly affected by dynamically important magnetic fields. Quenching as well as enhancement are being observed. This leads to a modulation of the coefficients with the activity cycle. The temporal variations are found to be comparable to the time-averaged values and seem to be responsible for a nonlinear feedback on the magnetic field generation. Furthermore, we quantify the validity of the Parker-Yoshimura rule for the equatorward propagation of the mean magnetic field in the present case.

  18. Periodic magnetorotational dynamo action as a prototype of nonlinear magnetic-field generation in shear flows.

    PubMed

    Herault, J; Rincon, F; Cossu, C; Lesur, G; Ogilvie, G I; Longaretti, P-Y

    2011-09-01

    The nature of dynamo action in shear flows prone to magnetohydrodynamc instabilities is investigated using the magnetorotational dynamo in Keplerian shear flow as a prototype problem. Using direct numerical simulations and Newton's method, we compute an exact time-periodic magnetorotational dynamo solution to three-dimensional dissipative incompressible magnetohydrodynamic equations with rotation and shear. We discuss the physical mechanism behind the cycle and show that it results from a combination of linear and nonlinear interactions between a large-scale axisymmetric toroidal magnetic field and nonaxisymmetric perturbations amplified by the magnetorotational instability. We demonstrate that this large-scale dynamo mechanism is overall intrinsically nonlinear and not reducible to the standard mean-field dynamo formalism. Our results therefore provide clear evidence for a generic nonlinear generation mechanism of time-dependent coherent large-scale magnetic fields in shear flows and call for new theoretical dynamo models. These findings may offer important clues to understanding the transitional and statistical properties of subcritical magnetorotational turbulence.

  19. Ion Heating Anisotropy during Dynamo Activity in the MST RFP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    den Hartog, D. J.; Chapman, J. T.; Craig, D.; Fiksel, G.; Fontana, P. W.

    1999-11-01

    MHD dynamo activity is large in the MST Reversed-Field Pinch during sawtooth crashes, and small otherwise. During a sawtooth crash, ion temperature increases rapidly to a level several times as high as the temperature between sawteeth, which itself can be larger than the electron temperature. Several theories have been developed to explain this ion heating, some indicating a possible asymmetry in perpendicular to parallel heating [C. G. Gimblett, Europhys. Lett. 11, 541 (1990); Z. Yoshida, Nucl. Fusion 31, 386 (1991); N. Mattor, P. W. Terry, and S. C. Prager, Comments Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 15, 65 (1992)]. In standard MST discharges, impurity ion temperature measured perpendicular to the magnetic field (T_⊥) is higher than impurity ion temperature parallel to the magnetic field (T_allel) during a sawtooth crash. Throughout the rest of the sawtooth cycle, T_⊥ <= T_allel. This is in contrast to results obtained on the EXTRAP-T2 RFP which showed T_⊥ < T_allel throughout the discharge [K. Sasaki et al., Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 39, 333 (1997)

  20. On MHD rotational transport, instabilities and dynamo action in stellar radiation zones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mathis, Stéphane; Brun, A.-S.; Zahn, J.-P.

    2009-04-01

    Magnetic field and their related dynamical effects are thought to be important in stellar radiation zones. For instance, it has been suggested that a dynamo, sustained by a m = 1 MHD instability of toroidal magnetic fields (discovered by Tayler in 1973), could lead to a strong transport of angular momentum and of chemicals in such stable regions. We wish here to recall the different magnetic transport processes present in radiative zone and show how the dynamo can operate by recalling the conditions required to close the dynamo loop (BPol → BTor → BPol). Helped by high-resolution 3D MHD simulations using the ASH code in the solar case, we confirm the existence of the m = 1 instability, study its non-linear saturation, but we do not detect, up to a magnetic Reylnods number of 105, any dynamo action.

  1. Effects of anisotropies in turbulent magnetic diffusion in mean-field solar dynamo models

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pipin, V. V.; Kosovichev, A. G.

    2014-04-10

    We study how anisotropies of turbulent diffusion affect the evolution of large-scale magnetic fields and the dynamo process on the Sun. The effect of anisotropy is calculated in a mean-field magnetohydrodynamics framework assuming that triple correlations provide relaxation to the turbulent electromotive force (so-called the 'minimal τ-approximation'). We examine two types of mean-field dynamo models: the well-known benchmark flux-transport model and a distributed-dynamo model with a subsurface rotational shear layer. For both models, we investigate effects of the double- and triple-cell meridional circulation, recently suggested by helioseismology and numerical simulations. To characterize the anisotropy effects, we introduce a parameter ofmore » anisotropy as a ratio of the radial and horizontal intensities of turbulent mixing. It is found that the anisotropy affects the distribution of magnetic fields inside the convection zone. The concentration of the magnetic flux near the bottom and top boundaries of the convection zone is greater when the anisotropy is stronger. It is shown that the critical dynamo number and the dynamo period approach to constant values for large values of the anisotropy parameter. The anisotropy reduces the overlap of toroidal magnetic fields generated in subsequent dynamo cycles, in the time-latitude 'butterfly' diagram. If we assume that sunspots are formed in the vicinity of the subsurface shear layer, then the distributed dynamo model with the anisotropic diffusivity satisfies the observational constraints from helioseismology and is consistent with the value of effective turbulent diffusion estimated from the dynamics of surface magnetic fields.« less

  2. Identification of vortexes obstructing the dynamo mechanism in laboratory experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Limone, A.; Hatch, D. R.; Forest, C. B.; Jenko, F.

    2013-06-01

    The magnetohydrodynamic dynamo effect explains the generation of self-sustained magnetic fields in electrically conducting flows, especially in geo- and astrophysical environments. Yet the details of this mechanism are still unknown, e.g., how and to which extent the geometry, the fluid topology, the forcing mechanism, and the turbulence can have a negative effect on this process. We report on numerical simulations carried out in spherical geometry, analyzing the predicted velocity flow with the so-called singular value decomposition, a powerful technique that allows us to precisely identify vortexes in the flow which would be difficult to characterize with conventional spectral methods. We then quantify the contribution of these vortexes to the growth rate of the magnetic energy in the system. We identify an axisymmetric vortex, whose rotational direction changes periodically in time, and whose dynamics are decoupled from those of the large scale background flow, that is detrimental for the dynamo effect. A comparison with experiments is carried out, showing that similar dynamics were observed in cylindrical geometry. These previously unexpected eddies, which impede the dynamo effect, offer an explanation for the experimental difficulties in attaining a dynamo in spherical geometry.

  3. Modeling the Solar Convective Dynamo and Emerging Flux

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fan, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Significant advances have been made in recent years in global-scale fully dynamic three-dimensional convective dynamo simulations of the solar/stellar convective envelopes to reproduce some of the basic features of the Sun's large-scale cyclic magnetic field. It is found that the presence of the dynamo-generated magnetic fields plays an important role for the maintenance of the solar differential rotation, without which the differential rotation tends to become anti-solar (with a faster rotating pole instead of the observed faster rotation at the equator). Convective dynamo simulations are also found to produce emergence of coherent super-equipartition toroidal flux bundles with a statistically significant mean tilt angle that is consistent with the mean tilt of solar active regions. The emerging flux bundles are sheared by the giant cell convection into a forward leaning loop shape with its leading side (in the direction of rotation) pushed closer to the strong downflow lanes. Such asymmetric emerging flux pattern may lead to the observed asymmetric properties of solar active regions.

  4. A New Type of Plasma Wakefield Accelerator Driven By Magnetowaves

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chen, Pisin; /KIPAC, Menlo Park /Taiwan, Natl. Taiwan U.; Chang, Feng-Yin

    2011-09-12

    We present a new concept for a plasma wakefield accelerator driven by magnetowaves (MPWA). This concept was originally proposed as a viable mechanism for the 'cosmic accelerator' that would accelerate cosmic particles to ultra-high energies in the astrophysical setting. Unlike the more familiar plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) and the laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) where the drivers, the charged-particle beam and the laser, are independently existing entities, MPWA invokes the high-frequency and high-speed whistler mode as the driver, which is a medium wave that cannot exist outside of the plasma. Aside from the difference in drivers, the underlying mechanism that excitesmore » the plasma wakefield via the ponderomotive potential is common. Our computer simulations show that under appropriate conditions, the plasma wakefield maintains very high coherence and can sustain high-gradient acceleration over many plasma wavelengths. We suggest that in addition to its celestial application, the MPWA concept can also be of terrestrial utility. A proof-of-principle experiment on MPWA would benefit both terrestrial and celestial accelerator concepts.« less

  5. A solar dynamo surface wave at the interface between convection and nonuniform rotation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parker, E. N.

    1993-01-01

    A simple dynamo surface wave is presented to illustrate the basic principles of a dynamo operating in the thin layer of shear and suppressed eddy diffusion beneath the cyclonic convection in the convection zone of the sun. It is shown that the restriction of the shear delta(Omega)/delta(r) to a region below the convective zone provides the basic mode with a greatly reduced turbulent diffusion coefficient in the region of strong azimuthal field. The dynamo takes on the character of a surface wave tied to the lower surface z = 0 of the convective zone. There is a substantial body of evidence suggesting a fibril state for the principal flux bundles beneath the surface of the sun, with fundamental implications for the solar dynamo.

  6. An ancient core dynamo in asteroid Vesta.

    PubMed

    Fu, Roger R; Weiss, Benjamin P; Shuster, David L; Gattacceca, Jérôme; Grove, Timothy L; Suavet, Clément; Lima, Eduardo A; Li, Luyao; Kuan, Aaron T

    2012-10-12

    The asteroid Vesta is the smallest known planetary body that has experienced large-scale igneous differentiation. However, it has been previously uncertain whether Vesta and similarly sized planetesimals formed advecting metallic cores and dynamo magnetic fields. Here we show that remanent magnetization in the eucrite meteorite Allan Hills A81001 formed during cooling on Vesta 3.69 billion years ago in a surface magnetic field of at least 2 microteslas. This field most likely originated from crustal remanence produced by an earlier dynamo, suggesting that Vesta formed an advecting liquid metallic core. Furthermore, the inferred present-day crustal fields can account for the lack of solar wind ion-generated space weathering effects on Vesta.

  7. Core solidification and dynamo evolution in a mantle-stripped planetesimal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scheinberg, A.; Elkins-Tanton, L. T.; Schubert, G.; Bercovici, D.

    2016-01-01

    The physical processes active during the crystallization of a low-pressure, low-gravity planetesimal core are poorly understood but have implications for asteroidal magnetic fields and large-scale asteroidal structure. We consider a core with only a thin silicate shell, which could be analogous to some M-type asteroids including Psyche, and use a parameterized thermal model to predict a solidification timeline and the resulting chemical profile upon complete solidification. We then explore the potential strength and longevity of a dynamo in the planetesimal's early history. We find that cumulate inner core solidification would be capable of sustaining a dynamo during solidification, but less power would be available for a dynamo in an inward dendritic solidification scenario. We also model and suggest limits on crystal settling and compaction of a possible cumulate inner core.

  8. Kinematic dynamo, supersymmetry breaking, and chaos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ovchinnikov, Igor V.; Enßlin, Torsten A.

    2016-04-01

    The kinematic dynamo (KD) describes the growth of magnetic fields generated by the flow of a conducting medium in the limit of vanishing backaction of the fields onto the flow. The KD is therefore an important model system for understanding astrophysical magnetism. Here, the mathematical correspondence between the KD and a specific stochastic differential equation (SDE) viewed from the perspective of the supersymmetric theory of stochastics (STS) is discussed. The STS is a novel, approximation-free framework to investigate SDEs. The correspondence reported here permits insights from the STS to be applied to the theory of KD and vice versa. It was previously known that the fast KD in the idealistic limit of no magnetic diffusion requires chaotic flows. The KD-STS correspondence shows that this is also true for the diffusive KD. From the STS perspective, the KD possesses a topological supersymmetry, and the dynamo effect can be viewed as its spontaneous breakdown. This supersymmetry breaking can be regarded as the stochastic generalization of the concept of dynamical chaos. As this supersymmetry breaking happens in both the diffusive and the nondiffusive cases, the necessity of the underlying SDE being chaotic is given in either case. The observed exponentially growing and oscillating KD modes prove physically that dynamical spectra of the STS evolution operator that break the topological supersymmetry exist with both real and complex ground state eigenvalues. Finally, we comment on the nonexistence of dynamos for scalar quantities.

  9. DYNAMO-HIA–A Dynamic Modeling Tool for Generic Health Impact Assessments

    PubMed Central

    Lhachimi, Stefan K.; Nusselder, Wilma J.; Smit, Henriette A.; van Baal, Pieter; Baili, Paolo; Bennett, Kathleen; Fernández, Esteve; Kulik, Margarete C.; Lobstein, Tim; Pomerleau, Joceline; Mackenbach, Johan P.; Boshuizen, Hendriek C.

    2012-01-01

    Background Currently, no standard tool is publicly available that allows researchers or policy-makers to quantify the impact of policies using epidemiological evidence within the causal framework of Health Impact Assessment (HIA). A standard tool should comply with three technical criteria (real-life population, dynamic projection, explicit risk-factor states) and three usability criteria (modest data requirements, rich model output, generally accessible) to be useful in the applied setting of HIA. With DYNAMO-HIA (Dynamic Modeling for Health Impact Assessment), we introduce such a generic software tool specifically designed to facilitate quantification in the assessment of the health impacts of policies. Methods and Results DYNAMO-HIA quantifies the impact of user-specified risk-factor changes on multiple diseases and in turn on overall population health, comparing one reference scenario with one or more intervention scenarios. The Markov-based modeling approach allows for explicit risk-factor states and simulation of a real-life population. A built-in parameter estimation module ensures that only standard population-level epidemiological evidence is required, i.e. data on incidence, prevalence, relative risks, and mortality. DYNAMO-HIA provides a rich output of summary measures – e.g. life expectancy and disease-free life expectancy – and detailed data – e.g. prevalences and mortality/survival rates – by age, sex, and risk-factor status over time. DYNAMO-HIA is controlled via a graphical user interface and is publicly available from the internet, ensuring general accessibility. We illustrate the use of DYNAMO-HIA with two example applications: a policy causing an overall increase in alcohol consumption and quantifying the disease-burden of smoking. Conclusion By combining modest data needs with general accessibility and user friendliness within the causal framework of HIA, DYNAMO-HIA is a potential standard tool for health impact assessment based on

  10. Chiral dynamos and magnetogenesis induced by torsionful Maxwell-Chern Simons electrodynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Andrade, L. C. Garcia

    2018-03-01

    Recently chiral anomalous currents have been investigated by Boyarsky et al. and Brandenburg et al. with respect to applications to the early universe. In this paper we show that these magnetic field anomalies, which can give rise to dynamo magnetic field amplification can also be linked to spacetime torsion through the use of a chemical potential and Maxwell electrodynamics with torsion firstly proposed by de Sabbata and Gasperini. When the axial torsion is constant this electrodynamics acquires the form of a Maxwell-Chern-Simmons (MCS) equations where the chiral current appears naturally and the zero component of torsion plays the role of a chemical potential, while the other components play the role of anisotropic conductivity. The chiral dynamo equation in torsionful spacetime is derived here from MSC electrodynamics. Here we have used a recently derived a torsion LV bound of T0˜ {10^{-26}} GeV and the constraint that this chiral magnetic field is a seed for galactic dynamo. This estimate is weaker than the one obtained from the chiral battery seed of ˜ {10^{30}} G without making use of Cartan torsion. The torsion obtained here was derived at 500 pc coherence scale. When a chiral MF is forced to seed a galactic dynamo one obtains a yet weaker MF, of the order of B˜ {10^{12}} G, which is the value of a MF at nucleosynthesis. By the use of chiral dynamo equations from parity-violating torsion one obtains a seed field of B˜ {10^{27}} G, which is a much stronger MF closer to the one obtained by making use of chiral batteries. Chiral vortical currents in non-Riemannian spacetimes derived in Riemannian spaces previously by Flaschi and Fukushima are extended to include minimal coupling with torsion. The present universe yields B˜ {10^{-24}} G, still sufficient to seed galactic dynamos.

  11. DYNAMO-HIA--a Dynamic Modeling tool for generic Health Impact Assessments.

    PubMed

    Lhachimi, Stefan K; Nusselder, Wilma J; Smit, Henriette A; van Baal, Pieter; Baili, Paolo; Bennett, Kathleen; Fernández, Esteve; Kulik, Margarete C; Lobstein, Tim; Pomerleau, Joceline; Mackenbach, Johan P; Boshuizen, Hendriek C

    2012-01-01

    Currently, no standard tool is publicly available that allows researchers or policy-makers to quantify the impact of policies using epidemiological evidence within the causal framework of Health Impact Assessment (HIA). A standard tool should comply with three technical criteria (real-life population, dynamic projection, explicit risk-factor states) and three usability criteria (modest data requirements, rich model output, generally accessible) to be useful in the applied setting of HIA. With DYNAMO-HIA (Dynamic Modeling for Health Impact Assessment), we introduce such a generic software tool specifically designed to facilitate quantification in the assessment of the health impacts of policies. DYNAMO-HIA quantifies the impact of user-specified risk-factor changes on multiple diseases and in turn on overall population health, comparing one reference scenario with one or more intervention scenarios. The Markov-based modeling approach allows for explicit risk-factor states and simulation of a real-life population. A built-in parameter estimation module ensures that only standard population-level epidemiological evidence is required, i.e. data on incidence, prevalence, relative risks, and mortality. DYNAMO-HIA provides a rich output of summary measures--e.g. life expectancy and disease-free life expectancy--and detailed data--e.g. prevalences and mortality/survival rates--by age, sex, and risk-factor status over time. DYNAMO-HIA is controlled via a graphical user interface and is publicly available from the internet, ensuring general accessibility. We illustrate the use of DYNAMO-HIA with two example applications: a policy causing an overall increase in alcohol consumption and quantifying the disease-burden of smoking. By combining modest data needs with general accessibility and user friendliness within the causal framework of HIA, DYNAMO-HIA is a potential standard tool for health impact assessment based on epidemiologic evidence.

  12. When did the lunar core dynamo cease?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tikoo, S. M.; Weiss, B. P.; Shuster, D. L.; Fuller, M.

    2013-12-01

    Remanent magnetization in the lunar crust and in returned Apollo samples has long suggested that the Moon formed a metallic core and an ancient dynamo magnetic field. Recent paleomagnetic investigations of lunar samples demonstrate that the Moon had a core dynamo which produced ~30-110 μT surface fields between at least 4.2 and 3.56 billion years ago (Ga). Tikoo et al. (1) recently found that the field declined to below several μT by 3.19 Ga. However, given that even values of a few μT are at the upper end of the intensities predicted by dynamo theory for this late in lunar history, it remains uncertain when the lunar dynamo actually ceased completely. Determining this requires a young lunar rock with extraordinarily high magnetic recording fidelity. With this goal, we are conducting a new analysis of young regolith breccia 15498. Although the breccia's age is currently uncertain, the presence of Apollo 15-type mare basalt clasts provides an upper limit constraint of ~3.3 Ga, while trapped Ar data suggest a lithification age of ~1.3 Ga. In stark contrast to the multidomain character of virtually all lunar crystalline rocks, the magnetic carriers in 15498 are on average pseudo-single domain to superparamagnetic, indicating that the sample should provide high-fidelity paleointensity records. A previous alternating field (AF) and thermal demagnetization study of 15498 by Gose et al. (2) observed that the sample carries stable remanent magnetization which persists to unblocking temperatures of at least 650°C. Using a modified Thellier technique, they reported a paleointensity of 2 μT. Although this value may have been influenced by spurious remanence acquired during pretreatment with AF demagnetization, our results confirm the presence of an extremely stable (blocked to coercivities >290 mT) magnetization in the glassy matrix. We also found that this magnetization is largely unidirectional across mutually oriented subsamples. The cooling timescale of this rock (~1

  13. The Case Against an Early Lunar Dynamo Powered by Core Convection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, Alexander J.; Tikoo, Sonia M.; Andrews-Hanna, Jeffrey C.

    2018-01-01

    Paleomagnetic analyses of lunar samples indicate that the Moon had a dynamo-generated magnetic field with 50 μT surface field intensities between 3.85 and 3.56 Ga followed by a period of much lower (≤ 5 μT) intensities that persisted beyond 2.5 Ga. However, we determine herein that there is insufficient energy associated with core convection—the process commonly recognized to generate long-lived magnetic fields in planetary bodies—to sustain a lunar dynamo for the duration and intensities indicated. We find that a lunar surface field of ≤1.9 μT could have persisted until 200 Ma, but the 50 μT paleointensities recorded by lunar samples between 3.85 and 3.56 Ga could not have been sustained by a convective dynamo for more than 28 Myr. Thus, for a continuously operating, convective dynamo to be consistent with the early lunar paleomagnetic record, either an exotic mechanism or unknown energy source must be primarily responsible for the ancient lunar magnetic field.

  14. Energy transfers in large-scale and small-scale dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Samtaney, Ravi; Kumar, Rohit; Verma, Mahendra

    2015-11-01

    We present the energy transfers, mainly energy fluxes and shell-to-shell energy transfers in small-scale dynamo (SSD) and large-scale dynamo (LSD) using numerical simulations of MHD turbulence for Pm = 20 (SSD) and for Pm = 0.2 on 10243 grid. For SSD, we demonstrate that the magnetic energy growth is caused by nonlocal energy transfers from the large-scale or forcing-scale velocity field to small-scale magnetic field. The peak of these energy transfers move towards lower wavenumbers as dynamo evolves, which is the reason for the growth of the magnetic fields at the large scales. The energy transfers U2U (velocity to velocity) and B2B (magnetic to magnetic) are forward and local. For LSD, we show that the magnetic energy growth takes place via energy transfers from large-scale velocity field to large-scale magnetic field. We observe forward U2U and B2B energy flux, similar to SSD.

  15. Faraday rotation signatures of fluctuation dynamos in young galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sur, Sharanya; Bhat, Pallavi; Subramanian, Kandaswamy

    2018-03-01

    Observations of Faraday rotation through high-redshift galaxies have revealed that they host coherent magnetic fields that are of comparable strengths to those observed in nearby galaxies. These fields could be generated by fluctuation dynamos. We use idealized numerical simulations of such dynamos in forced compressible turbulence up to rms Mach number of 2.4 to probe the resulting rotation measure (RM) and the degree of coherence of the magnetic field. We obtain rms values of RM at dynamo saturation of the order of 45-55 per cent of the value expected in a model where fields are assumed to be coherent on the forcing scale of turbulence. We show that the dominant contribution to the RM in subsonic and transonic cases comes from the general sea of volume filling fields, rather than from the rarer structures. However, in the supersonic case, strong field regions as well as moderately overdense regions contribute significantly. Our results can account for the observed RMs in young galaxies.

  16. Initial operation with sodium in the Madison Dynamo Experiment.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kendrick, R.; Spence, Ej; Forest, C. B.; O'Connell, R.; Nornberg, Md; Canary, Hw; Wright, A.; Robinson, K.

    1999-11-01

    A new liquid metal MHD experiment has been constructed at the University of Wisconsin to test several key predictions of dynamo theory: magnetic instabilities driven by sheared flow, the effects of turbulence on current generation, and the back-reaction of the self-generated magnetic field on the fluid motion which brings saturation. This presentation describes the engineering design of the experiment, which is a 0.5 m radius spherical vessel, filled with liquid sodium at 150 ^circC. The experiment is designed to achieve a magnetic Reynolds number in excess of 100, which requires approximately 80 Hp of mechanical drive, producing flow velocities in sodium of 15 m/s through impellers. Handling liquid sodium offers a number of technical challenges, but routine techniques have been developed over the past several decades for safely handling large quantities for the fast breeder reactor. The handling strategy is discussed, technical details concerning seals and pressurization are presented, and safety elements are highlighted.

  17. Sign-singular measures - Fast magnetic dynamos, and high-Reynolds-number fluid turbulence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ott, Edward; Du, Yunson; Sreenivasan, K. R.; Juneja, A.; Suri, A. K.

    1992-11-01

    It is shown that sign-singular measures with nontrivial cancellation exponents occur in dynamos and fluid turbulence. A cancellation exponent is introduced to characterize such measures quantitatively. Examples from kinematic magnetic dynamos and fluid turbulence are used to illlustrate this kind of singular behavior.

  18. Generation of dynamo magnetic fields in protoplanetary and other astrophysical accretion disks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, T. F.; Levy, E. H.

    1988-01-01

    A computational method for treating the generation of dynamo magnetic fields in astrophysical disks is presented. The numerical difficulty of handling the boundary condition at infinity in the cylindrical disk geometry is overcome by embedding the disk in a spherical computational space and matching the solutions to analytically tractable spherical functions in the surrounding space. The lowest lying dynamo normal modes for a 'thick' astrophysical disk are calculated. The generated modes found are all oscillatory and spatially localized. Tha potential implications of the results for the properties of dynamo magnetic fields in real astrophysical disks are discussed.

  19. The dynamo of the diurnal tide and its effect on the thermospheric circulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mayr, H. G.; Harris, I.; Herrero, F. A.

    1990-01-01

    A theoretical multiconstituent model (including O, N2, and O2) which describes the interactions between neutral winds, dynamo electric fields, and ion drifts is used to interpret observations that revealed a dominance of the fundamental diurnal tide in the upper thermosphere and at equatorial latitudes, and its effect on the thermospheric circulation. The model is shown to reproduce reasonably well the magnitudes of the neutral winds, ion drift velocities, and the ratio between the two. A solution for the neutral winds in which the dynamo electric field is forced to zero shows that the dynamo-induced ion drift is very important in accelerating the neutral atmosphere at higher altitudes. The dynamo interaction primarily affects the curl component of the field; its effect on the temperature and density perturbations is small.

  20. Impact of Convection on Surface Fluxes Observed During LASP/DYNAMO 2011

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-12-01

    20  Figure 8.  FFM maneuver used in the LASP/DYNAMO experiment (from Wang et al. 2013...Atmosphere Response Experiment DYNAMO Dynamics of Madden-Julian Oscillation EM electro-magnetic EO electro-optical FFM flight-level flux mapping FVS...level flux mapping ( FFM ) modules. Convection modules consisted of dropsonde cloud survey or radar convective element maneuver. Dropsonde modules

  1. The role of current sheet formation in driven plasmoid reconnection in laser-produced plasma bubbles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lezhnin, Kirill; Fox, William; Bhattacharjee, Amitava

    2017-10-01

    We conduct a multiparametric study of driven magnetic reconnection relevant to recent experiments on colliding magnetized laser produced plasmas using the PIC code PSC. Varying the background plasma density, plasma resistivity, and plasma bubble geometry, the results demonstrate a variety of reconnection behavior and show the coupling between magnetic reconnection and global fluid evolution of the system. We consider both collision of two radially expanding bubbles where reconnection is driven through an X-point, and collision of two parallel fields where reconnection must be initiated by the tearing instability. Under various conditions, we observe transitions between fast, collisionless reconnection to a Sweet-Parker-like slow reconnection to complete stalling of the reconnection. By varying plasma resistivity, we observe the transition between fast and slow reconnection at Lundquist number S 103 . The transition from plasmoid reconnection to a single X-point reconnection also happens around S 103 . We find that the criterion δ /di < 1 is necessary for fast reconnection onset. Finally, at sufficiently high background density, magnetic reconnection can be suppressed, leading to bouncing motion of the magnetized plasma bubbles.

  2. Numerical study of dynamo action at low magnetic Prandtl numbers.

    PubMed

    Ponty, Y; Mininni, P D; Montgomery, D C; Pinton, J-F; Politano, H; Pouquet, A

    2005-04-29

    We present a three-pronged numerical approach to the dynamo problem at low magnetic Prandtl numbers P(M). The difficulty of resolving a large range of scales is circumvented by combining direct numerical simulations, a Lagrangian-averaged model and large-eddy simulations. The flow is generated by the Taylor-Green forcing; it combines a well defined structure at large scales and turbulent fluctuations at small scales. Our main findings are (i) dynamos are observed from P(M)=1 down to P(M)=10(-2), (ii) the critical magnetic Reynolds number increases sharply with P(M)(-1) as turbulence sets in and then it saturates, and (iii) in the linear growth phase, unstable magnetic modes move to smaller scales as P(M) is decreased. Then the dynamo grows at large scales and modifies the turbulent velocity fluctuations.

  3. New Model for Ionospheric Irregularities at Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keskinen, M. J.

    2018-03-01

    A new model for ionospheric irregularities at Mars is presented. It is shown that wind-driven currents in the dynamo region of the Martian ionosphere can be unstable to the electromagnetic gradient drift instability. This plasma instability can generate ionospheric density and magnetic field irregularities with scale sizes of approximately 15-20 km down to a few kilometers. We show that the instability-driven magnetic field fluctuation amplitudes relative to background are correlated with the ionospheric density fluctuation amplitudes relative to background. Our results can explain recent observations made by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft in the Martian ionosphere dynamo region.

  4. Magnetic Helicity and the Solar Dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Canfield, Richard C.

    1997-01-01

    The objective of this investigation is to open a new window into the solar dynamo, convection, and magnetic reconnection through measurement of the helicity density of magnetic fields in the photosphere and tracing of large-scale patterns of magnetic helicity in the corona.

  5. Fast dynamos with finite resistivity in steady flows with stagnation points

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lau, Yun-Tung; Finn, John M.

    1993-01-01

    Results are presented of a kinematic fast dynamo problem for two classes of steady incompressible flows: the ABC flow and the spatially aperiodic flow of Lau and Finn (1992). The numerical method used to find the solutions is described, together with convergence studies with respect to the time step and the number of points N of the spatial grid. It is shown that the growth rate and frequency can be extrapolated to N = infinity. Results are presented indicating that fast kinematic dynamos can exist in both these flows and that chaotic flow is a necessary condition. It was found that, for the ABC flow with A = B = C, there are two dynamo modes: an oscillating mode and a purely growing mode.

  6. Dynamo theory prediction of solar activity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schatten, Kenneth H.

    1988-01-01

    The dynamo theory technique to predict decadal time scale solar activity variations is introduced. The technique was developed following puzzling correlations involved with geomagnetic precursors of solar activity. Based upon this, a dynamo theory method was developed to predict solar activity. The method was used successfully in solar cycle 21 by Schatten, Scherrer, Svalgaard, and Wilcox, after testing with 8 prior solar cycles. Schatten and Sofia used the technique to predict an exceptionally large cycle, peaking early (in 1990) with a sunspot value near 170, likely the second largest on record. Sunspot numbers are increasing, suggesting that: (1) a large cycle is developing, and (2) that the cycle may even surpass the largest cycle (19). A Sporer Butterfly method shows that the cycle can now be expected to peak in the latter half of 1989, consistent with an amplitude comparable to the value predicted near the last solar minimum.

  7. Experimental results on current-driven turbulence in plasmas - a survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Kluiver, H.; Perepelkin, N. F.; Hirose, A.

    1991-01-01

    The experimental consequences of plasma turbulence driven by a current parallel to a magnetic field and concurrent anomalous plasma heating are reviewed, with an attempt to deduce universalities in key parameters such as the anomalous electrical conductivities observed in diverse devices. It has been found that the nature of plasma turbulence and turbulent heating depends on several parameters including the electric field, current and magnetic fields. A classification of turbulence regimes based on these parameters has been made. Experimental observations of the anomalous electrical conductivity, plasma heating, skin effect, runaway electron braking and turbulent fluctuations are surveyed, and current theoretical understanding is briefly reviewed. Experimental results recently obtained in stellarators (SIRIUS, URAGAN at Kharkov), and in tokamaks (TORTUR at Nieuwegein, STOR-1M at Saskatoon) are presented in some detail in the light of investigating the feasibility of using turbulent heating as a means of injecting a large power into toroidal devices.

  8. Reactive hydroxyl radical-driven oral bacterial inactivation by radio frequency atmospheric plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Sung Kil; Choi, Myeong Yeol; Koo, Il Gyo; Kim, Paul Y.; Kim, Yoonsun; Kim, Gon Jun; Mohamed, Abdel-Aleam H.; Collins, George J.; Lee, Jae Koo

    2011-04-01

    We demonstrated bacterial (Streptococcus mutans) inactivation by a radio frequency power driven atmospheric pressure plasma torch with H2O2 entrained in the feedstock gas. Optical emission spectroscopy identified substantial excited state •OH generation inside the plasma and relative •OH formation was verified by optical absorption. The bacterial inactivation rate increased with increasing •OH generation and reached a maximum 5-log10 reduction with 0.6% H2O2 vapor. Generation of large amounts of toxic ozone is drawback of plasma bacterial inactivation, thus it is significant that the ozone concentration falls within recommended safe allowable levels with addition of H2O2 vapor to the plasma.

  9. Self-excitation in a helical liquid metal flow: the Riga dynamo experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gailitis, A.; Gerbeth, G.; Gundrum, Th.; Lielausis, O.; Lipsbergs, G.; Platacis, E.

    2018-06-01

    The homogeneous dynamo effect is at the root of magnetic field generation in cosmic bodies, including planets, stars and galaxies. While the underlying theory had increasingly flourished since the middle of the 20th century, hydromagnetic dynamos were not realized in the laboratory until 1999. On 11 November 1999, this situation changed with the first observation of a kinematic dynamo in the Riga experiment. Since that time, a series of experimental campaigns has provided a wealth of data on the kinematic and the saturated regime. This paper is intended to give a comprehensive survey about these experiments, to summarize their main results and to compare them with numerical simulations.

  10. Geometric scalings for the electrostatically driven helical plasma state

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akçay, Cihan; Finn, John M.; Nebel, Richard A.; Barnes, Daniel C.

    2017-12-01

    A new plasma state has been investigated [Akcay et al., Phys. Plasmas 24, 052503 (2017)], with a uniform applied axial magnetic field in a periodic cylinder of length L = 2 π R , driven by helical electrodes. The drive is single helicity, depending on m θ + k z = m θ - n ζ , where ζ = z / R and k = - n / R . For strong ( m , n ) = ( 1 , 1 ) drive, the state was found to have a strong axial mean current density, with a mean-field safety factor q 0 ( r ) just above the pitch of the electrodes m / n = 1 in the interior. This state has possible applications to DC electrical transformers and tailoring of the current profile in tokamaks. We study two geometric issues of interest for these applications: (i) scaling of properties with the plasma length or aspect ratio and (ii) behavior for different helicities, specifically ( m , n ) = ( 1 , n ) for n > 1 and ( m , n ) = ( 2 , 1 ) .

  11. Magnetic Eigenmodes in the Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nornberg, M. D.; Bayliss, R. A.; Forest, C. B.; Kendrick, R. D.; O'Connell, R.; Spence, E. J.

    2002-11-01

    A spherical dynamo experiment has been constructed at the University of Wisconsin's liquid sodium facility. The goals of the experiment are to observe and understand magnetic instabilities driven by flow shear in MHD systems, investigate MHD turbulence for magnetic Reynolds numbers of 100, and understand the role of fluid turbulence in current generation. Magnetic field generation is only possible for specific flow geometries. We have studied and achieved simple roll flow geometries in a full scale water experiment. Results from the water experiment have guided the design of the sodium experiment. The experiment consists of a 1 m diameter, spherical stainless steel vessel filled with liquid sodium at 110 Celsius. Two 100 Hp motors with impellers drive flows in the liquid sodium with flow velocities of 15 m/s. A gaussian grid of 66 Hall probes on the surface of the sodium vessel measure the generated external magnetic field. Hall probe feed-thru arrays measure the internal field. A pair of magnetic field coils produce a roughly uniform field inside the sphere with a centerline field strength of 100 gauss. Preliminary investigations include measurements of the turbulent electromotive force and excitation of magnetic eigenmodes.

  12. Magnetic Fluctuation-Driven Intrinsic Flow in a Toroidal Plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brower, D. L.; Ding, W. X.; Lin, L.; Almagri, A. F.; den Hartog, D. J.; Sarff, J. S.

    2012-10-01

    Magnetic fluctuations have been long observed in various magnetic confinement configurations. These perturbations may arise naturally from plasma instabilities such as tearing modes and energetic particle driven modes, but they can also be externally imposed by error fields or external magnetic coils. It is commonly observed that large MHD modes lead to plasma locking (no rotation) due to torque produced by eddy currents on the wall, and it is predicted that stochastic field induces flow damping where the radial electric field is reduced. Flow generation is of great importance to fusion plasma research, especially low-torque devices like ITER, as it can act to improve performance. Here we describe new measurements in the MST reversed field pinch (RFP) showing that the coherent interaction of magnetic and particle density fluctuations can produce a turbulent fluctuation-induced kinetic force, which acts to drive intrinsic plasma rotation. Key observations include; (1) the average kinetic force resulting from density fluctuations, ˜ 0.5 N/m^3, is comparable to the intrinsic flow acceleration, and (2) between sawtooth crashes, the spatial distribution of the kinetic force is directed to create a sheared parallel flow profile that is consistent with the measured flow profile in direction and amplitude, suggesting the kinetic force is responsible for intrinsic plasma rotation.

  13. Geomagnetic conjugate observations of plasma bubbles and thermospheric neutral winds at equatorial latitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukushima, D.; Shiokawa, K.; Otsuka, Y.; Nishioka, M.; Kubota, M.; Tsugawa, T.; Nagatsuma, T.

    2012-12-01

    Plasma bubbles are plasma-density depletion which is developed by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability on the sunset terminator at equatorial latitudes. They usually propagate eastward after the sunset. The eastward propagation of the plasma bubbles is considered to be controlled by background eastward neutral winds in the thermosphere through the F-region dynamo effect. However, it is not clear how the F-region dynamo effect contributes to the propagation of the plasma bubbles, because plasma bubbles and background neutral winds have not been simultaneously observed at geomagnetic conjugate points in the northern and southern hemispheres. In this study, geomagnetic conjugate observations of the plasma bubbles at low latitudes with thermospheric neutral winds were reported. The plasma bubbles were observed at Kototabang (0.2S, 100.3E, geomagnetic latitude (MLAT): 10.0S), Indonesia and at Chiang Mai (18.8N, 98.9E, MLAT: 8.9N), Thailand, which are geomagnetic conjugate stations, on 5 April, 2011 from 13 to 22 UT (from 20 to 05 LT). These plasma bubbles were observed in the 630-nm airglow images taken by using highly-sensitive all-sky airglow imagers at both stations. They propagated eastward with horizontal velocities of about 100-125 m/s. Background thermospheric neutral winds were also observed at both stations by using two Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs). The eastward wind velocities were about 70-130 m/s at Kototabang, and about 50-90 m/s at Chiang Mai. We estimated ion drift velocities by using these neutral winds observed by FPIs and conductivities calculated from the IRI and MSIS models. The estimated velocities were about 60-90 % of the drift velocities of plasma bubbles. This result shows that most of the plasma bubble drift can be explained by the F-region dynamo effect, and additional electric field effect may come in to play.

  14. Understanding lunar magnetic field through magnetization and dynamo mechanism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, K. H.; Kuang, W.

    2016-12-01

    It has been known that the Moon does not have an active global magnetic field. But past missions to the Moon (e.g. Apollo missions, Lunar Prospector) have detected magnetic anomalies in many areas on the lunar surface. They carry rich information about geophysical processes on and within the Moon, thus central for understanding the structure and dynamics in the interior, e.g. the core and the suggested magma ocean. One unsettling problem for understanding the lunar magnetic anomaly is its origin. There have been several mechanisms suggested in the past, either on the anomalies in specific regions, or only at the conceptual stage. The latter include the paleo dynamo. The lunar dynamo mechanism is conceptually very simple: lunar crustal magnetization was acquired in an internal magnetic field that was generated and maintained by dynamo action in the lunar core. Could this simple mechanism suffice to explain most of the observed lunar magnetic anomalies? We present our theoretical calculations of possible paleo-lunar magnetic field strengths based on paleomagnetic measurements of Apollo samples.

  15. On the possibility of an alpha-sq omega-type dynamo in a thin layer inside the sun

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Choudhuri, Arnab Rai

    1990-01-01

    If the solar dynamo operates in a thin layer of 10,000-km thickness at the interface between the convection zone and the radiative core, using the facts that the dynamo should have a period of 22 years and a half-wavelength of 40 deg in the theta-direction, it is possible to impose restrictions on the values which various dynamo parameters are allowed to have. It is pointed out that the dynamo should be of alpha-sq omega nature, and kinematical calculations are presented for free dynamo waves and for dynamos in thin rectangular slabs with appropriate boundary conditions. An alpha-sq omega dynamo is expected to produce a significant poloidal field which does not leak to the solar surface. It is found that the turbulent diffusity eta and alpha-coefficient are restricted to values within about a factor of 10, the median values being eta of about 10 to the 10th sq cm/sec and alpha of about 10 cm/sec. On the basis of mixing length theory, it is pointed out that such values imply a reasonable turbulent velocity of the order 30 m/s, but rather small turbulent length scales like 300 km.

  16. Mean-field dynamo in a turbulence with shear and kinetic helicity fluctuations.

    PubMed

    Kleeorin, Nathan; Rogachevskii, Igor

    2008-03-01

    We study the effects of kinetic helicity fluctuations in a turbulence with large-scale shear using two different approaches: the spectral tau approximation and the second-order correlation approximation (or first-order smoothing approximation). These two approaches demonstrate that homogeneous kinetic helicity fluctuations alone with zero mean value in a sheared homogeneous turbulence cannot cause a large-scale dynamo. A mean-field dynamo is possible when the kinetic helicity fluctuations are inhomogeneous, which causes a nonzero mean alpha effect in a sheared turbulence. On the other hand, the shear-current effect can generate a large-scale magnetic field even in a homogeneous nonhelical turbulence with large-scale shear. This effect was investigated previously for large hydrodynamic and magnetic Reynolds numbers. In this study we examine the threshold required for the shear-current dynamo versus Reynolds number. We demonstrate that there is no need for a developed inertial range in order to maintain the shear-current dynamo (e.g., the threshold in the Reynolds number is of the order of 1).

  17. Effect of plasma grid bias on extracted currents in the RF driven surface-plasma negative ion source

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Belchenko, Yu., E-mail: belchenko@inp.nsk.su; Ivanov, A.; Sanin, A.

    2016-02-15

    Extraction of negative ions from the large inductively driven surface-plasma negative ion source was studied. The dependencies of the extracted currents vs plasma grid (PG) bias potential were measured for two modifications of radio-frequency driver with and without Faraday screen, for different hydrogen feeds and for different levels of cesium conditioning. The maximal PG current was independent of driver modification and it was lower in the case of inhibited cesium. The maximal extracted negative ion current depends on the potential difference between the near-PG plasma and the PG bias potentials, while the absolute value of plasma potential in the drivermore » and in the PG area is less important for the negative ion production. The last conclusion confirms the main mechanism of negative ion production through the surface conversion of fast atoms.« less

  18. On the dynamo generation of flux ropes in the Venus ionosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Luhmann, J. G.; Elphic, R. C.

    1985-01-01

    Small scale magnetic field structures or 'flux ropes' observed in the ionosphere of Venus can be interpreted as the result of a kinematic dynamo process acting on weak seed fields. The seed fields result from the prevailing downward convection of magnetic flux from the vicinity of the ionopause, while small scale fluctuations in the velocity of the ionospheric plasma, which can be caused by collisional coupling to gravity waves in the neutral atmosphere, provide the mechanism by which the field is twisted and redistributed into features of similar scale. This mechanism naturally explains some of the average properties of flux ropes such as the variation of their characteristics with altitude and solar zenith angle. It also elucidates the relationship between the large scale and small scale ionospheric magnetic fields.

  19. The fast kinematic magnetic dynamo and the dissipationless limit

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Finn, John M.; Ott, Edward

    1990-01-01

    The evolution of the magnetic field in models that incorporate chaotic field line stretching, field cancellation, and finite magnetic Reynolds number is examined analytically and numerically. Although the models used here are highly idealized, it is claimed that they display and illustrate typical behavior relevant to fast magnetic dynamic behavior. It is shown, in particular, that consideration of magnetic flux through a finite fixed surface provides a simple and effective way of deducing fast dynamo behavior from the zero resistivity equation. Certain aspects of the fast dynamo problem can thus be reduced to a study of nonlinear dynamic properties of the underlying flow.

  20. An early solar dynamo prediction: Cycle 23 is approximately cycle 22

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schatten, Kenneth H.; Pesnell, W. Dean

    1993-01-01

    In this paper, we briefly review the 'dynamo' and 'geomagnetic precursor' methods of long-term solar activity forecasting. These methods depend upon the most basic aspect of dynamo theory to predict future activity, future magnetic field arises directly from the magnification of pre-existing magnetic field. We then generalize the dynamo technique, allowing the method to be used at any phase of the solar cycle, through the development of the 'Solar Dynamo Amplitude' (SODA) index. This index is sensitive to the magnetic flux trapped within the Sun's convection zone but insensitive to the phase of the solar cycle. Since magnetic fields inside the Sun can become buoyant, one may think of the acronym SODA as describing the amount of buoyant flux. Using the present value of the SODA index, we estimate that the next cycle's smoothed peak activity will be about 210 +/- 30 solar flux units for the 10.7 cm radio flux and a sunspot number of 170 +/- 25. This suggests that solar cycle #23 will be large, comparable to cycle #22. The estimated peak is expected to occur near 1999.7 +/- 1 year. Since the current approach is novel (using data prior to solar minimum), these estimates may improve when the upcoming solar minimum is reached.

  1. DEPENDENCE OF STELLAR MAGNETIC ACTIVITY CYCLES ON ROTATIONAL PERIOD IN A NONLINEAR SOLAR-TYPE DYNAMO

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pipin, V. V.; Kosovichev, A. G.

    2016-06-01

    We study the turbulent generation of large-scale magnetic fields using nonlinear dynamo models for solar-type stars in the range of rotational periods from 14 to 30 days. Our models take into account nonlinear effects of dynamical quenching of magnetic helicity, and escape of magnetic field from the dynamo region due to magnetic buoyancy. The results show that the observed correlation between the period of rotation and the duration of activity cycles can be explained in the framework of a distributed dynamo model with a dynamical magnetic feedback acting on the turbulent generation from either magnetic buoyancy or magnetic helicity. Wemore » discuss implications of our findings for the understanding of dynamo processes operating in solar-like stars.« less

  2. Efficient quasi-monoenergetic ion beams from laser-driven relativistic plasmas

    PubMed Central

    Palaniyappan, Sasi; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald C.; Hamilton, Christopher E.; Santiago, Miguel A.; Kreuzer, Christian; Sefkow, Adam B.; Shah, Rahul C.; Fernández, Juan C.

    2015-01-01

    Table-top laser–plasma ion accelerators have many exciting applications, many of which require ion beams with simultaneous narrow energy spread and high conversion efficiency. However, achieving these requirements has been elusive. Here we report the experimental demonstration of laser-driven ion beams with narrow energy spread and energies up to 18 MeV per nucleon and ∼5% conversion efficiency (that is 4 J out of 80-J laser). Using computer simulations we identify a self-organizing scheme that reduces the ion energy spread after the laser exits the plasma through persisting self-generated plasma electric (∼1012 V m−1) and magnetic (∼104 T) fields. These results contribute to the development of next generation compact accelerators suitable for many applications such as isochoric heating for ion-fast ignition and producing warm dense matter for basic science. PMID:26657147

  3. Efficient quasi-monoenergetic ion beams from laser-driven relativistic plasmas

    DOE PAGES

    Palaniyappan, Sasi; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald C.; ...

    2015-12-11

    Here, table-top laser–plasma ion accelerators have many exciting applications, many of which require ion beams with simultaneous narrow energy spread and high conversion efficiency. However, achieving these requirements has been elusive. Here we report the experimental demonstration of laser-driven ion beams with narrow energy spread and energies up to 18 MeV per nucleon and ~5% conversion efficiency (that is 4 J out of 80-J laser). Using computer simulations we identify a self-organizing scheme that reduces the ion energy spread after the laser exits the plasma through persisting self-generated plasma electric (~10 12 V m –1) and magnetic (~10 4 T)more » fields. These results contribute to the development of next generation compact accelerators suitable for many applications such as isochoric heating for ion-fast ignition and producing warm dense matter for basic science.« less

  4. Semi-analytic model of plasma-jet-driven magneto-inertial fusion

    DOE PAGES

    Langendorf, Samuel J.; Hsu, Scott C.

    2017-03-01

    A semi-analytic model for plasma-jet-driven magneto-inertial fusion is presented here. Compressions of a magnetized plasma target by a spherically imploding plasma liner are calculated in one dimension (1D), accounting for compressible hydrodynamics and ionization of the liner material, energy losses due to conduction and radiation, fusion burn and alpha deposition, separate ion and electron temperatures in the target, magnetic pressure, and fuel burn-up. Results show 1D gains of 3–30 at spherical convergence ratio <15 and 20–40 MJ of liner energy, for cases in which the liner thickness is 1 cm and the initial radius of a preheated magnetized target ismore » 4 cm. Some exploration of parameter space and physics settings is presented. The yields observed suggest that there is a possibility of igniting additional dense fuel layers to reach high gain.« less

  5. Trapped electron mode turbulence driven intrinsic rotation in Tokamak plasmas.

    PubMed

    Wang, W X; Hahm, T S; Ethier, S; Zakharov, L E; Diamond, P H

    2011-02-25

    Progress from global gyrokinetic simulations in understanding the origin of intrinsic rotation in toroidal plasmas is reported. The turbulence-driven intrinsic torque associated with nonlinear residual stress generation due to zonal flow shear induced asymmetry in the parallel wave number spectrum is shown to scale close to linearly with plasma gradients and the inverse of the plasma current, qualitatively reproducing experimental empirical scalings of intrinsic rotation. The origin of current scaling is found to be enhanced k(∥) symmetry breaking induced by the increased radial variation of the safety factor as the current decreases. The intrinsic torque is proportional to the pressure gradient because both turbulence intensity and zonal flow shear, which are two key ingredients for driving residual stress, increase with turbulence drive, which is R/L(T(e)) and R/L(n(e)) for the trapped electron mode. © 2011 American Physical Society

  6. Kinetic modeling of x-ray laser-driven solid Al plasmas via particle-in-cell simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Royle, R.; Sentoku, Y.; Mancini, R. C.; Paraschiv, I.; Johzaki, T.

    2017-06-01

    Solid-density plasmas driven by intense x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) radiation are seeded by sources of nonthermal photoelectrons and Auger electrons that ionize and heat the target via collisions. Simulation codes that are commonly used to model such plasmas, such as collisional-radiative (CR) codes, typically assume a Maxwellian distribution and thus instantaneous thermalization of the source electrons. In this study, we present a detailed description and initial applications of a collisional particle-in-cell code, picls, that has been extended with a self-consistent radiation transport model and Monte Carlo models for photoionization and K L L Auger ionization, enabling the fully kinetic simulation of XFEL-driven plasmas. The code is used to simulate two experiments previously performed at the Linac Coherent Light Source investigating XFEL-driven solid-density Al plasmas. It is shown that picls-simulated pulse transmissions using the Ecker-Kröll continuum-lowering model agree much better with measurements than do simulations using the Stewart-Pyatt model. Good quantitative agreement is also found between the time-dependent picls results and those of analogous simulations by the CR code scfly, which was used in the analysis of the experiments to accurately reproduce the observed K α emissions and pulse transmissions. Finally, it is shown that the effects of the nonthermal electrons are negligible for the conditions of the particular experiments under investigation.

  7. Ensemble Kalman Filter Data Assimilation in a Solar Dynamo Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dikpati, M.

    2017-12-01

    Despite great advancement in solar dynamo models since the first model by Parker in 1955, there remain many challenges in the quest to build a dynamo-based prediction scheme that can accurately predict the solar cycle features. One of these challenges is to implement modern data assimilation techniques, which have been used in the oceanic and atmospheric prediction models. Development of data assimilation in solar models are in the early stages. Recently, observing system simulation experiments (OSSE's) have been performed using Ensemble Kalman Filter data assimilation, in the framework of Data Assimilation Research Testbed of NCAR (NCAR-DART), for estimating parameters in a solar dynamo model. I will demonstrate how the selection of ensemble size, number of observations, amount of error in observations and the choice of assimilation interval play important role in parameter estimation. I will also show how the results of parameter reconstruction improve when accuracy in low-latitude observations is increased, despite large error in polar region data. I will then describe how implementation of data assimilation in a solar dynamo model can bring more accuracy in the prediction of polar fields in North and South hemispheres during the declining phase of cycle 24. Recent evidence indicates that the strength of the Sun's polar field during the cycle minima might be a reliable predictor for the next sunspot cycle's amplitude; therefore it is crucial to accurately predict the polar field strength and pattern.

  8. Experimental investigation of dynamo effect in the secondary pumps of the fast breeder reactor Superphenix

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alemany, A.; Marty, Ph.; Plunian, F.; Soto, J.

    2000-01-01

    The fast breeder reactors (FBR) BN600 (Russia) and Phenix (France) have been the subject of several experimental studies aimed at the observation of dynamo action. Though no dynamo effect has been identified, the possibility was raised for the FBR Superphenix (France) which has an electric power twice that of BN600 and five times larger than Phenix. We present the results of a series of experimental investigations on the secondary pumps of Superphenix. The helical sodium flow inside one pump corresponds to a maximum magnetic Reynolds number (Rm) of 25 in the experimental conditions (low temperature). The magnetic field was recorded in the vicinity of the pumps and no dynamo action has been identified. An estimate of the critical flow rate necessary to reach dynamo action has been found, showing that the pumps are far from producing dynamo action. The magnetic energy spectrum was also recorded and analysed. It is of the form k[minus sign]11/3, suggesting the existence of a large-scale magnetic field. Following Moffatt (1978), this spectrum slope is also justified by a phenomenological approach.

  9. A unified large/small-scale dynamo in helical turbulence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhat, Pallavi; Subramanian, Kandaswamy; Brandenburg, Axel

    2016-09-01

    We use high resolution direct numerical simulations (DNS) to show that helical turbulence can generate significant large-scale fields even in the presence of strong small-scale dynamo action. During the kinematic stage, the unified large/small-scale dynamo grows fields with a shape-invariant eigenfunction, with most power peaked at small scales or large k, as in Subramanian & Brandenburg. Nevertheless, the large-scale field can be clearly detected as an excess power at small k in the negatively polarized component of the energy spectrum for a forcing with positively polarized waves. Its strength overline{B}, relative to the total rms field Brms, decreases with increasing magnetic Reynolds number, ReM. However, as the Lorentz force becomes important, the field generated by the unified dynamo orders itself by saturating on successively larger scales. The magnetic integral scale for the positively polarized waves, characterizing the small-scale field, increases significantly from the kinematic stage to saturation. This implies that the small-scale field becomes as coherent as possible for a given forcing scale, which averts the ReM-dependent quenching of overline{B}/B_rms. These results are obtained for 10243 DNS with magnetic Prandtl numbers of PrM = 0.1 and 10. For PrM = 0.1, overline{B}/B_rms grows from about 0.04 to about 0.4 at saturation, aided in the final stages by helicity dissipation. For PrM = 10, overline{B}/B_rms grows from much less than 0.01 to values of the order the 0.2. Our results confirm that there is a unified large/small-scale dynamo in helical turbulence.

  10. Ribbons characterize magnetohydrodynamic magnetic fields better than lines: a lesson from dynamo theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blackman, Eric G.; Hubbard, Alexander

    2014-08-01

    Blackman and Brandenburg argued that magnetic helicity conservation in dynamo theory can in principle be captured by diagrams of mean field dynamos when the magnetic fields are represented by ribbons or tubes, but not by lines. Here, we present such a schematic ribbon diagram for the α2 dynamo that tracks magnetic helicity and provides distinct scales of large-scale magnetic helicity, small-scale magnetic helicity, and kinetic helicity involved in the process. This also motivates our construction of a new `2.5 scale' minimalist generalization of the helicity-evolving equations for the α2 dynamo that separately allows for these three distinct length-scales while keeping only two dynamical equations. We solve these equations and, as in previous studies, find that the large-scale field first grows at a rate independent of the magnetic Reynolds number RM before quenching to an RM-dependent regime. But we also show that the larger the ratio of the wavenumber where the small-scale current helicity resides to that of the forcing scale, the earlier the non-linear dynamo quenching occurs, and the weaker the large-scale field is at the turnoff from linear growth. The harmony between the theory and the schematic diagram exemplifies a general lesson that magnetic fields in magnetohydrodynamic are better visualized as two-dimensional ribbons (or pairs of lines) rather than single lines.

  11. STELLAR DYNAMO MODELS WITH PROMINENT SURFACE TOROIDAL FIELDS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bonanno, Alfio

    2016-12-20

    Recent spectro-polarimetric observations of solar-type stars have shown the presence of photospheric magnetic fields with a predominant toroidal component. If the external field is assumed to be current-free it is impossible to explain these observations within the framework of standard mean-field dynamo theory. In this work, it will be shown that if the coronal field of these stars is assumed to be harmonic, the underlying stellar dynamo mechanism can support photospheric magnetic fields with a prominent toroidal component even in the presence of axisymmetric magnetic topologies. In particular, it is argued that the observed increase in the toroidal energy inmore » low-mass fast-rotating stars can be naturally explained with an underlying α Ω mechanism.« less

  12. Nonlinear generation of large-scale magnetic fields in forced spherical shell dynamos

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Livermore, P. W.; Hughes, D. W.; Tobias, S. M.

    2010-03-15

    In an earlier paper [P. W. Livermore, D. W. Hughes, and S. M. Tobias, ''The role of helicity and stretching in forced kinematic dynamos in a spherical shell'', Phys. Fluids 19, 057101 (2007)], we considered the kinematic dynamo action resulting from a forced helical flow in a spherical shell. Although mean field electrodynamics suggests that the resulting magnetic field should have a significant mean (axisymmetric) component, we found no evidence for this; the dynamo action was distinctly small scale. Here we extend our investigation into the nonlinear regime in which the magnetic field reacts back on the velocity via themore » Lorentz force. Our main result is somewhat surprising, namely, that nonlinear effects lead to a considerable change in the structure of the magnetic field, its final state having a significant mean component. By investigating the dominant flow-field interactions, we isolate the dynamo mechanism and show schematically how the generation process differs between the kinematic and nonlinear regimes. In addition, we are able to calculate some components of the transport coefficient {alpha} and thus discuss our results within the context of mean field electrodynamics.« less

  13. Kinematic α tensors and dynamo mechanisms in a von Kármán swirling flow.

    PubMed

    Ravelet, F; Dubrulle, B; Daviaud, F; Ratié, P-A

    2012-07-13

    We provide experimental and numerical evidence of in-blades vortices in the von Kármán swirling flow. We estimate the associated kinematic α-effect tensor and show that it is compatible with recent models of the von Kármán sodium (VKS) dynamo. We further show that depending on the relative frequency of the two impellers, the dominant dynamo mechanism may switch from α2 to α - Ω dynamo. We discuss some implications of these results for VKS experiments.

  14. Fast-dynamo action in unsteady flows and maps in three dimensions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bayly, B. J.; Childress, S.

    1987-01-01

    Unsteady fast-dynamo action is obtained in a family of stretch-fold-shear maps applied to a spatially periodic magnetic field in three dimensions. Exponential growth of a mean field in the limit of vanishing diffusivity is demonstrated by a numerical method which alternates instantaneous deformations with molecular diffusion over a finite time interval. Analysis indicates that the dynamo is a coherent feature of the large scales, essentially independent of the cascade of structure to small scales.

  15. Computational model of collisional-radiative nonequilibrium plasma in an air-driven type laser propulsion

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ogino, Yousuke; Ohnishi, Naofumi

    A thrust power of a gas-driven laser-propulsion system is obtained through interaction with a propellant gas heated by a laser energy. Therefore, understanding the nonequilibrium nature of laser-produced plasma is essential for increasing available thrust force and for improving energy conversion efficiency from a laser to a propellant gas. In this work, a time-dependent collisional-radiative model for air plasma has been developed to study the effects of nonequilibrium atomic and molecular processes on population densities for an air-driven type laser propulsion. Many elementary processes are considered in the number density range of 10{sup 12}/cm{sup 3}<=N<=10{sup 19}/cm{sup 3} and the temperaturemore » range of 300 K<=T<=40,000 K. We then compute the unsteady nature of pulsively heated air plasma. When the ionization relaxation time is the same order as the time scale of a heating pulse, the effects of unsteady ionization are important for estimating air plasma states. From parametric computations, we determine the appropriate conditions for the collisional-radiative steady state, local thermodynamic equilibrium, and corona equilibrium models in that density and temperature range.« less

  16. Generation of magnetic fields by chaotic fluid convection - The fast dynamo problem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Finn, John M.

    1992-01-01

    In the kinematic fast dynamo problem, the underlying nonlinear dynamics of the flow play a critical role in the behavior of a dynamo field. It is presently noted that the two important facets of the problem are the approximately lognormal distribution of vector lengths, and the presence of partial cancellation. It is suggested that these features may be reflected in the magnetic fields observed on the sun.

  17. The effect of giant impactors on the magnetic field energy of an early Martian dynamo.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drummond, McGregor; Thieulot, Cedric; Monteux, Julien

    2016-04-01

    cumulative effect of multiple large impactors; such as Utopia, Hellas and Isidis basin forming impacts. [1] Aubert, J., Aurnou, J. & Wicht, J., 2008. The magnetic structure of convection-driven numerical dynamos. Geophys. J. Int., 172, 945--956. [2] Monteux, J., Arkani-Hamed, J., 2014. Consequences of giant impacts in early Mars: core merging and Martian dynamo evolution. J. Geophys. Res. (Planets) 119, 480--505.

  18. Marshall N. Rosenbluth Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award: Magnetorotational turbulence and dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Squire, Jonathan

    2017-10-01

    Accretion disks are ubiquitous in astrophysics and power some of the most luminous sources in the universe. In many disks, the transport of angular momentum, and thus the mass accretion itself, is thought to be caused by the magnetorotational instability (MRI). As the MRI saturates into strong turbulence, it also generates ordered magnetic fields, acting as a magnetic dynamo powered by the background shear flow. However, despite its importance for astrophysical accretion processes, basic aspects of MRI turbulence-including its saturation amplitude-remain poorly understood. In this talk, I will outline progress towards improving this situation, focusing in particular on the nonlinear shear dynamo and how this controls the turbulence. I will discuss how novel statistical simulation methods can be used to better understand this shear dynamo, in particular the distinct mechanisms that may play a role in MRI turbulence and how these depend on important physical parameters.

  19. A gas-puff-driven theta pinch for plasma-surface interaction studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, Soonwook; Kesler, Leigh; Yun, Hyun-Ho; Curreli, Davide; Andruczyk, Daniel; Ruzic, David

    2012-10-01

    DEVeX is a theta pinch device used to investigate fusion-related material interaction such as vapor shielding and ICRF antenna interactions with plasma-pulses in a laboratory setting. The simulator is required to produce high heat-flux plasma enough to induce temperature gradient high enough to study extreme conditions happened in a plasma fusion reactor. In order to achieve it, DEVeX is reconfigured to be combined with gas puff system as gas puffing may reduce heat flux loss resulting from collisions with neutral. A gas puff system as well as a conical gas nozzle is manufactured and several diagnostics including hot wire anemometer and fast ionization gauge are carried out to quantitatively estimate the supersonic flow of gas. Energy deposited on the target for gas puffing and static-filled conditions is measured with thermocouples and its application to TELS, an innovative concept utilizing a thermoelectric-driven liquid metal flow for plasma facing component, is discussed.

  20. Effects of the current boundary conditions at the plasma-gun gap on density in SSPX

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kolesnikov, Roman; Lodestro, L. L.; Meyer, W. H.

    2012-10-01

    The Sustained Spheromak Physics Experiment (SSPX) was a toroidal magnetic-confinement device without toroidal magnetic-field coils or a central transformer but which generated core-plasma currents by dynamo processes driven by coaxial plasma-gun injection into a flux-conserving vessel. Record electron temperatures in a spheromak (Te˜500eV) were achieved, and final results of the SSPX program were reported in [1]. Plasma density, which depended strongly on wall conditions, was an important parameter in SSPX. It was observed that density rises with Igun and that confinement improved as the density was lowered. Shortly after the last experiments, a new feature was added to the Corsica code's solver used to reconstruct SSPX equilibria. Motivated by n=0 fields observed in NIMROD simulations of SSPX, an insulating boundary condition was implemented at the plasma-gun gap. Using this option we will perform new reconstructions of SSPX equilibria and look for correlations between the location of the separatrix (which moves up the gun wall and onto the insulating gap as Igun increases) and plasma density and magnetic-flux amplification [2].[4pt] [1] H. S. McLean, APS, DPP, Dallas, TX, 2008.[0pt] [2] E. B. Hooper et al., Nucl. Fusion 47, 1064 (2007).

  1. Instrumental Implementation of an Experiment to Demonstrate αω -dynamos in Accretion Disks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Si, Jiahe; Sonnenfeld, Richard; Colgate, Art; Li, Hui; Nornberg, Mark

    2016-10-01

    The New Mexico Liquid Metal αω -dynamo experiment is aimed to demonstrate a galactic dynamo. Our goal is to generate the ω-effect and α-effect by two semi-coherent flows in laboratory. Two coaxial cylinders are used to generate Taylor-Couette flows to simulate the differential rotation of accretion disks. Plumes induced by jets injected into the Couette flows are expected to produce helicities necessary for the α-effect. We have demonstrated an 8-fold poloidal-to-toroidal flux amplification from differential rotation (the ω-effect) by minimizing turbulence in our apparatus. To demonstrate the α-effect, the experimental apparatus is undergoing significant upgrade. We have constructed a helicity injection facility, and are also designing and testing a new data acquisition system capable of transmitting data in a high speed rotating frame. Additional magnetic field diagnostics will also be included. The upgrade is intended to answer the question of whether a self-sustaining αω -dynamo can be constructed with a realistic fluid flow field, as well as to obtain more details to understand dynamo action in highly turbulent Couette flow.

  2. IMPORTANCE OF MERIDIONAL CIRCULATION IN FLUX TRANSPORT DYNAMO: THE POSSIBILITY OF A MAUNDER-LIKE GRAND MINIMUM

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Karak, Bidya Binay, E-mail: bidya_karak@physics.iisc.ernet.i

    2010-12-01

    Meridional circulation is an important ingredient in flux transport dynamo models. We have studied its importance on the period, the amplitude of the solar cycle, and also in producing Maunder-like grand minima in these models. First, we model the periods of the last 23 sunspot cycles by varying the meridional circulation speed. If the dynamo is in a diffusion-dominated regime, then we find that most of the cycle amplitudes also get modeled up to some extent when we model the periods. Next, we propose that at the beginning of the Maunder minimum the amplitude of meridional circulation dropped to amore » low value and then after a few years it increased again. Several independent studies also favor this assumption. With this assumption, a diffusion-dominated dynamo is able to reproduce many important features of the Maunder minimum remarkably well. If the dynamo is in a diffusion-dominated regime, then a slower meridional circulation means that the poloidal field gets more time to diffuse during its transport through the convection zone, making the dynamo weaker. This consequence helps to model both the cycle amplitudes and the Maunder-like minima. We, however, fail to reproduce these results if the dynamo is in an advection-dominated regime.« less

  3. Evidence from numerical experiments for a feedback dynamo generating Mercury's magnetic field.

    PubMed

    Heyner, Daniel; Wicht, Johannes; Gómez-Pérez, Natalia; Schmitt, Dieter; Auster, Hans-Ulrich; Glassmeier, Karl-Heinz

    2011-12-23

    The observed weakness of Mercury's magnetic field poses a long-standing puzzle to dynamo theory. Using numerical dynamo simulations, we show that it could be explained by a negative feedback between the magnetospheric and the internal magnetic fields. Without feedback, a small internal field was amplified by the dynamo process up to Earth-like values. With feedback, the field strength saturated at a much lower level, compatible with the observations at Mercury. The classical saturation mechanism via the Lorentz force was replaced by the external field impact. The resulting surface field was dominated by uneven harmonic components. This will allow the feedback model to be distinguished from other models once a more accurate field model is constructed from MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) and BepiColombo data.

  4. Torsional Oscillations in a Global Solar Dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beaudoin, P.; Charbonneau, P.; Racine, E.; Smolarkiewicz, P. K.

    2013-02-01

    We characterize and analyze rotational torsional oscillations developing in a large-eddy magnetohydrodynamical simulation of solar convection (Ghizaru, Charbonneau, and Smolarkiewicz, Astrophys. J. Lett. 715, L133, 2010; Racine et al., Astrophys. J. 735, 46, 2011) producing an axisymmetric, large-scale, magnetic field undergoing periodic polarity reversals. Motivated by the many solar-like features exhibited by these oscillations, we carry out an analysis of the large-scale zonal dynamics. We demonstrate that simulated torsional oscillations are not driven primarily by the periodically varying large-scale magnetic torque, as one might have expected, but rather via the magnetic modulation of angular-momentum transport by the large-scale meridional flow. This result is confirmed by a straightforward energy analysis. We also detect a fairly sharp transition in rotational dynamics taking place as one moves from the base of the convecting layers to the base of the thin tachocline-like shear layer formed in the stably stratified fluid layers immediately below. We conclude by discussing the implications of our analyses with regard to the mechanism of amplitude saturation in the global dynamo operating in the simulation, and speculate on the possible precursor value of torsional oscillations for the forecast of solar-cycle characteristics.

  5. Broken Symmetries and Magnetic Dynamos

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shebalin, John V.

    2007-01-01

    Phase space symmetries inherent in the statistical theory of ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence are known to be broken dynamically to produce large-scale coherent magnetic structure. Here, results of a numerical study of decaying MHD turbulence are presented that show large-scale coherent structure also arises and persists in the presence of dissipation. Dynamically broken symmetries in MHD turbulence may thus play a fundamental role in the dynamo process.

  6. PW-class laser-driven super acceleration systems in underdense plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yano, Masahiro; Zhidkov, Alexei; Kodama, Ryosuke

    2017-10-01

    Probing laser driven super-acceleration systems can be important tool to understand physics related to vacuum, space time, and particle acceleration. We show two proposals to probe the systems through Hawking-like effect using PW class lasers and x-ray free electron lasers. For that we study the interaction of ultrahigh intense laser pulses with intensity 1022 -1024 W/cm2 and underdense plasmas including ion motion and plasma radiation for the first time. While the acceleration w a0ωp /ωL in a wake is not maximal, the pulse propagation is much stable. The effect is that a constantly accelerated detector with acceleration w sees a boson's thermal bath at temperature ℏw / 2 πkB c . We present two designs for x-ray scattering from highly accelerated electrons produced in the plasma irradiated by intense laser pulses for such detection. Properly chosen observation angles enable us to distinguish spectral broadening from Doppler shift with a reasonable photon number. Also, ion motion and radiation damping on the interaction are investigated via fully relativistic 3D particle-in-cell simulation. We observe high quality electron bunches under super-acceleration when transverse plasma waves are excited by ponderomotive force producing plasma channel.

  7. Fully microscopic analysis of laser-driven finite plasmas using the example of clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peltz, Christian; Varin, Charles; Brabec, Thomas; Fennel, Thomas

    2012-06-01

    We discuss a microscopic particle-in-cell (MicPIC) approach that allows bridging of the microscopic and macroscopic realms of laser-driven plasma physics. The simultaneous resolution of collisions and electromagnetic field propagation in MicPIC enables the investigation of processes that have been inaccessible to rigorous numerical scrutiny so far. This is illustrated by the two main findings of our analysis of pre-ionized, resonantly laser-driven clusters, which can be realized experimentally in pump-probe experiments. In the linear response regime, MicPIC data are used to extract the individual microscopic contributions to the dielectric cluster response function, such as surface and bulk collision frequencies. We demonstrate that the competition between surface collisions and radiation damping is responsible for the maximum in the size-dependent lifetime of the Mie surface plasmon. The capacity to determine the microscopic underpinning of optical material parameters opens new avenues for modeling nano-plasmonics and nano-photonics systems. In the non-perturbative regime, we analyze the formation and evolution of recollision-induced plasma waves in laser-driven clusters. The resulting dynamics of the electron density and local field hot spots opens a new research direction for the field of attosecond science.

  8. Plasma-driven self-organization of Ni nanodot arrays on Si(100)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Levchenko, I.; Ostrikov, K.; Diwan, K.

    The results of the combined experimental and numerical study suggest that nonequilibrium plasma-driven self-organization leads to better size and positional uniformity of nickel nanodot arrays on a Si(100) surface compared with neutral gas-based processes under similar conditions. This phenomenon is explained by introducing the absorption zone patterns, whose areas relative to the small nanodot sizes become larger when the surface is charged. Our results suggest that strongly nonequilibrium and higher-complexity plasma systems can be used to improve ordering and size uniformity in nanodot arrays of various materials, a common and seemingly irresolvable problem in self-organized systems of small nanoparticles.

  9. Diffusion-driven fluid dynamics in ideal gases and plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vold, E. L.; Yin, L.; Taitano, W.; Molvig, K.; Albright, B. J.

    2018-06-01

    The classical transport theory based on Chapman-Enskog methods provides self-consistent approximations for the kinetic flux of mass, heat, and momentum in a fluid limit characterized with a small Knudsen number. The species mass fluxes relative to the center of mass, or "diffusive fluxes," are expressed as functions of known gradient quantities with kinetic coefficients evaluated using similar analyses for mixtures of gases or plasma components. The sum over species of the diffusive mass fluxes is constrained to be zero in the Lagrange frame, and thus results in a non-zero molar flux leading to a pressure perturbation. At an interface between two species initially in pressure equilibrium, the pressure perturbation driven by the diffusive molar flux induces a center of mass velocity directed from the species of greater atomic mass towards the lighter atomic mass species. As the ratio of the species particle masses increases, this center of mass velocity carries an increasingly greater portion of the mass across the interface and for a particle mass ratio greater than about two, the center of mass velocity carries more mass than the gradient driven diffusion flux. Early time transients across an interface between two species in a 1D plasma regime and initially in equilibrium are compared using three methods; a fluid code with closure in a classical transport approximation, a particle in cell simulation, and an implicit Fokker-Planck solver for the particle distribution functions. The early time transient phenomenology is shown to be similar in each of the computational simulation methods, including a pressure perturbation associated with the stationary "induced" component of the center of mass velocity which decays to pressure equilibrium during diffusion. At early times, the diffusive process generates pressure and velocity waves which propagate outward from the interface and are required to maintain momentum conservation. The energy in the outgoing waves dissipates

  10. Modeling MHD accretion-ejection: episodic ejections of jets triggered by a mean-field disk dynamo

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stepanovs, Deniss; Fendt, Christian; Sheikhnezami, Somayeh, E-mail: deniss@stepanovs.org, E-mail: fendt@mpia.de

    2014-11-20

    We present MHD simulations exploring the launching, acceleration, and collimation of jets and disk winds. The evolution of the disk structure is consistently taken into account. Extending our earlier studies, we now consider the self-generation of the magnetic field by an α{sup 2}Ω mean-field dynamo. The disk magnetization remains on a rather low level, which helps to evolve the simulations for T > 10, 000 dynamical time steps on a domain extending 1500 inner disk radii. We find the magnetic field of the inner disk to be similar to the commonly found open field structure, favoring magneto-centrifugal launching. The outermore » disk field is highly inclined and predominantly radial. Here, differential rotation induces a strong toroidal component, which plays a key role in outflow launching. These outflows from the outer disk are slower, denser, and less collimated. If the dynamo action is not quenched, magnetic flux is continuously generated, diffuses outward through the disk, and fills the entire disk. We have invented a toy model triggering a time-dependent mean-field dynamo. The duty cycles of this dynamo lead to episodic ejections on similar timescales. When the dynamo is suppressed as the magnetization falls below a critical value, the generation of the outflows and also accretion is inhibited. The general result is that we can steer episodic ejection and large-scale jet knots by a disk-intrinsic dynamo that is time-dependent and regenerates the jet-launching magnetic field.« less

  11. Aurora on Uranus - A Faraday disc dynamo mechanism

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hill, T. W.; Rassbach, M. E.; Dessler, A. J.

    1983-01-01

    A mechanism is proposed whereby the solar wind flowing past the magnetosphere of Uranus causes a Faraday disk dynamo topology to be established and power to be extracted from the kinetic energy of rotation of Uranus. An immediate consequence of this dynamo is the generation of Birkeland currents that flow in and out of the sunlit polar cap with the accompanying production of polar aurora. The power extracted from planetary rotation is calculated as a function of planetary dipole magnetic moment and the ionospheric conductivity of Uranus. For plausible values of ionospheric conductivity, the observed auroral power requires a magnetic moment corresponding to a surface equatorial field of the order of 4 Gauss, slightly larger than the value 1.8 Gauss given by the empirical 'magnetic Bodes law'.

  12. Helioseismic Observations of Two Solar Cycles and Constraints on Dynamo Theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kosovichev, Alexander

    2018-01-01

    Helioseismology data from the SOHO and SDO, obtained in 1996-2017 for almost two solar cycles, provide a unique opportunity to investigate variations of the solar interior structure and dynamics, and link these variations to the current dynamo models and simulations. The solar oscillation frequencies and frequency splitting of medium-degree p- and f-modes, as well as helioseismic inversions have been used to analyze variations of the differential rotation (“torsional oscillations”) and the global asphericity. By comparing the helioseismology results with the synoptic surface magnetic fields we identify characteristic changes associated the initiation and evolution of the solar cycles, 23 and 24. The observational results are compared with the current mean-field dynamo models and 3D MHD dynamo simulations. It is shown that the helioseismology inferences provide important constraints on the dynamics of the tachocline and near-surface shear layer, and also may explain the fundamental difference between the two solar cycles and detect the onset of the next cycle.

  13. Magnetogenesis and magnetothermal equilibria in turbulent galaxy-cluster plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schekochihin, Alexander

    2011-04-01

    We do not know the exact mechanism of magnetic field generation in magnetised weakly collisional (or collisionless) turbulent plasma. We do know that large-scale MHD motions in such plasmas are subject to fast small-scale kinetic instabilities (mirror and firehose) triggered (at high beta) by pressure anisotropies and that these anisotropies will always arise in a turbulent plasma. Therefore, standard MHD equations cannot be used to describe the turbulent dynamo. I will argue that the likely scenario in such plasmas is explosively fast growth of magnetic fluctuations to dynamical levels. I will further argue that if an efficient turbulent dynamo is assumed, radiative cooling in such plasmas can be balanced in a thermally stable way by turbulent heating, whose rate is set by the condition that plasma locally remains in a marginal state with respect to the mirror and firehose instabilities. This thermal stability suggests that a cooling catastrophe is not inevitable, although whether this old problem is thus resolved depends on whether a number of assumptions about the nonlinear behaviour of the instabilities, strength of turbulence and efficiency of the dynamo are borne out by first- principles microphysical theory, simulations or plasma experiments.References:A. A. Schekochihin, M. Brueggen, L. Feretti, M. W. Kunz, and L. Rudnick, Space Sci. Rev., in preparation (2011)M. W. Kunz, A. A. Schekochihin, S. C. Cowley, J. J. Binney, and J. S. Sanders, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., in press (2011) [e-print arXiv:1003.2719]M. S. Rosin, A. A. Schekochihin, F. Rincon, and S. C. Cowley, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., in press (2011) [e-print arXiv:1002.4017]A. A. Schekochihin, S. C. Cowley, F. Rincon, and M. S. Rosin, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 405, 291 (2010) [e-print arXiv:0912.1359]A. A. Schekochihin, S. C. Cowley, R. M. Kulsrud, M. S. Rosin, and T. Heinemann, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 081301 (2008) [e-print arXiv:0709.3828]A. A. Schekochihin and S. C. Cowley, Phys. Plasmas 13, 056501

  14. Sodium Handling Technology and Engineering Design of the Madison Dynamo Experiment.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kendrick, R.; Forest, C. B.; O'Connell, R.; Wright, A.; Robinson, K.

    1998-11-01

    A new liquid metal MHD experiment is being constructed at the University of Wisconsin to test several key predictions of dynamo theory: magnetic instabilities driven by sheared flow, the effects of turbulence on current generation, and the back-reaction of the self-generated magnetic field on the fluid motion which brings saturation. This presentation describes the engineering design of the experiment, which is a 0.5 m radius spherical vessel, filled with liquid sodium at 150 degrees Celsius. The experiment is designed to achieve a magnetic Reynolds number in excess of 100, which requires approximately 80 Hp of mechanical drive, producing flow velocities in sodium of 15 m/s through impellers. Handling liquid sodium offers a number of technical challenges, but routine techniques have been developed over the past several decades for safely handling large quantities for the fast breeder reactor. The handling strategy is discussed, technical details concerning seals and pressurazation are presented, and safety elements are highlighted.

  15. Topographic-driven instabilities in terrestrial bodies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vantieghem, S.; Cebron, D.; Herreman, W.; Lacaze, L.

    2013-12-01

    Models of internal planetary fluid layers (core flows, subsurface oceans) commonly assume that these fluid envelopes have a spherical shape. This approximation however entails a serious restriction from the fluid dynamics point of view. Indeed, in the presence of mechanical forcings (precession, libration, nutation or tides) due to gravitational interaction with orbiting partners, boundary topography (e.g. of the core-mantle boundary) may excite flow instabilities and space-filling turbulence. These phenomena may affect heat transport and dissipation at the main order. Here, we focus on instabilities driven by longitudinal libration. Using a suite of theoretical tools and numerical simulations, we are able to discern a parameter range for which instability may be excited. We thereby consider deformations of different azimuthal order. This study gives the first numerical evidence of the tripolar instability. Furthermore, we explore the non-linear regime and investigate the amplitude as well as the dissipation of the saturated instability. Indeed, these two quantities control the torques on the solid layers and the thermal transport. Furthermore, based on this results, we address the issue of magnetic field generation associated with these flows (by induction or by dynamo process). This instability mechanism applies to both synchronized as non-synchronized bodies. As such, our results show that a tripolar instability might be present in various terrestrial bodies (Early Moon, Gallilean moons, asteroids, etc.), where it could participate in dynamo action. Simulation of a libration-driven tripolar instability in a deformed spherical fluid layer: snapshot of the velocity magnitude, where a complex 3D flow pattern is established.

  16. Sawtooth events and O+ in the plasma sheet and boundary layer: CME- and SIR-driven events

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lund, E. J.; Nowrouzi, N.; Kistler, L. M.; Cai, X.; Liao, J.

    2017-12-01

    The role of ionospheric ions in sawtooth events is an open question. Simulations[1,2,3] suggest that O+ from the ionosphere produces a feedback mechanism for driving sawtooth events. However, observational evidence[4,5] suggest that the presence of O+ in the plasma sheet is neither necessary nor sufficient. In this study we investigate whether the solar wind driver of the geomagnetic storm has an effect on the result. Building on an earlier study[4] that used events for which Cluster data is available in the plasma sheet and boundary layer, we perform a superposed epoch analysis for coronal mass ejection (CME) driven storms and streaming interaction region (SIR) driven storms separately, to investigate the hypothesis that ionospheric O+ is an important contributor for CME-driven storms but not SIR-driven storms[2]. [1]O. J. Brambles et al. (2011), Science 332, 1183.[2]O. J. Brambles et al. (2013), JGR 118, 6026.[3]R. H. Varney et al. (2016), JGR 121, 9688.[4]J. Liao et al. (2014), JGR 119, 1572.[5]E. J. Lund et al. (2017), JGR, submitted.

  17. Dynamo: a flexible, user-friendly development tool for subtomogram averaging of cryo-EM data in high-performance computing environments.

    PubMed

    Castaño-Díez, Daniel; Kudryashev, Mikhail; Arheit, Marcel; Stahlberg, Henning

    2012-05-01

    Dynamo is a new software package for subtomogram averaging of cryo Electron Tomography (cryo-ET) data with three main goals: first, Dynamo allows user-transparent adaptation to a variety of high-performance computing platforms such as GPUs or CPU clusters. Second, Dynamo implements user-friendliness through GUI interfaces and scripting resources. Third, Dynamo offers user-flexibility through a plugin API. Besides the alignment and averaging procedures, Dynamo includes native tools for visualization and analysis of results and data, as well as support for third party visualization software, such as Chimera UCSF or EMAN2. As a demonstration of these functionalities, we studied bacterial flagellar motors and showed automatically detected classes with absent and present C-rings. Subtomogram averaging is a common task in current cryo-ET pipelines, which requires extensive computational resources and follows a well-established workflow. However, due to the data diversity, many existing packages offer slight variations of the same algorithm to improve results. One of the main purposes behind Dynamo is to provide explicit tools to allow the user the insertion of custom designed procedures - or plugins - to replace or complement the native algorithms in the different steps of the processing pipeline for subtomogram averaging without the burden of handling parallelization. Custom scripts that implement new approaches devised by the user are integrated into the Dynamo data management system, so that they can be controlled by the GUI or the scripting capacities. Dynamo executables do not require licenses for third party commercial software. Sources, executables and documentation are freely distributed on http://www.dynamo-em.org. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. A compact and continuously driven supersonic plasma and neutral source.

    PubMed

    Asai, T; Itagaki, H; Numasawa, H; Terashima, Y; Hirano, Y; Hirose, A

    2010-10-01

    A compact and repetitively driven plasma source has been developed by utilizing a magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG) for diagnostics requiring deep penetration of a large amount of neutral flux. The system consists of a MCPG 95mm in length with a DN16 ConFlat connection port and an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) inverter power unit. The power supply consists of an array of eight IGBT units and is able to switch the discharge on and off at up to 10 kV and 600 A with a maximum repetitive frequency of 10 kHz. Multiple short duration discharge pulses maximize acceleration efficiency of the plasmoid. In the case of a 10 kHz operating frequency, helium-plasmoids in the velocity range of 20 km/s can be achieved.

  19. Solar Cycle 24 and the Solar Dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pesnell, W. D.; Schatten, K.

    2007-01-01

    We will discuss the polar field precursor method for solar activity prediction, which predicts cycle 24 will be significantly lower than recent activity cycles, and some new ideas rejuvenating Babcock's shallow surface dynamo. The polar field precursor method is based on Babcock and Leighton's dynamo models wherein the polar field at solar minimum plays a major role in generating the next cycle's toroidal field and sunspots. Thus, by examining the polar fields of the Sun near solar minimum, a forecast for the next cycle's activity is obtained. With the current low value for the Sun's polar fields, this method predicts solar cycle 24 will be one of the lowest in recent times, with smoothed F10.7 radio flux values peaking near 135 plus or minus 35 (2 sigma), in the 2012-2013 timeframe (equivalent to smoothed Rz near 80 plus or minus 35 [2 sigma]). One may have to consider solar activity as far back as the early 20th century to find a cycle of comparable magnitude. We discuss unusual behavior in the Sun's polar fields that support this prediction. Normally, the solar precursor method is consistent with the geomagnetic precursor method, wherein geomagnetic variations are thought to be a good measure of the Sun's polar field strength. Because of the unusual polar field, the Earth does not appear to be currently bathed in the Sun's extended polar field (the interplanetary field), hence negating the primal cause behind the geomagnetic precursor technique. We also discuss how percolation may support Babcock's original shallow solar dynamo. In this process ephemeral regions from the solar magnetic carpet, guided by shallow surface fields, may collect to form pores and sunspots.

  20. Derivation of dynamo current drive in a closed-current volume and stable current sustainment in the HIT-SI experiment

    DOE PAGES

    Hossack, A. C.; Sutherland, D. A.; Jarboe, T. R.

    2017-02-01

    A derivation is given showing that the current inside a closed-current volume can be sustained against resistive dissipation by appropriately phased magnetic perturbations. Imposed-dynamo current drive (IDCD) theory is used to predict the toroidal current evolution in the HIT-SI experiment as a function of magnetic fluctuations at the edge. Analysis of magnetic fields from a HIT-SI discharge shows that the injector-imposed fluctuations are sufficient to sustain the measured toroidal current without instabilities whereas the small, plasma-generated magnetic fluctuations are not sufficiently large to sustain the current.

  1. Derivation of dynamo current drive in a closed-current volume and stable current sustainment in the HIT-SI experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hossack, A. C.; Sutherland, D. A.; Jarboe, T. R.

    A derivation is given showing that the current inside a closed-current volume can be sustained against resistive dissipation by appropriately phased magnetic perturbations. Imposed-dynamo current drive (IDCD) theory is used to predict the toroidal current evolution in the HIT-SI experiment as a function of magnetic fluctuations at the edge. Analysis of magnetic fields from a HIT-SI discharge shows that the injector-imposed fluctuations are sufficient to sustain the measured toroidal current without instabilities whereas the small, plasma-generated magnetic fluctuations are not sufficiently large to sustain the current.

  2. Understanding the Interiors of Saturn and Mercury through Magnetic Field Observation and Dynamo Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Hao

    Understanding the interior structure and dynamics of a planet is a key step towards understanding the formation and evolution of a planet. In this thesis, I combine field observation and dynamo modeling to understand planetary interiors. Focus has been put on planets Saturn and Mercury. The Cassini spacecraft has been taking continuous measurements in the Saturnian system since the Saturn orbital insertion in June 2004. Since the Mercury orbital insertion in March 2011, the MESSENGER spacecraft has been examining planet Mercury. After analyzing the close-in portion of the in-situ Cassini magnetometer measurements around Saturn, I find that Saturn's magnetic field features several surprising characteristics. First, Saturn's magnetic field is extremely axisymmetric. We cannot find any consistent departure from axisymmetry, and have put an extremely tight upper bound on the dipole tilt of Saturn: the dipole tilt of Saturn has to be smaller than 0.06 degrees. Second, we find that Saturn's magnetic field is extremely stable with time. Third, we estimated the magnetic moments of Saturn up to degree 5. This is the first magnetic field model for Saturn which goes beyond degree 3. We find that not only Saturn's intrinsic magnetic field is dominated by the axial moments; among these axial moments the odd degree ones dominate. In addition, the first three odd degree axial moments all take the same sign. This sign pattern of Saturn's magnetic moments is in contrast to that of the Earth's magnetic moments which takes alternative signs for the past century. The contrast between the geometries of Saturn's magnetic field and the Earth's magnetic field lead us to propose a dynamo hypothesis which speculates that such differences are caused by structural and dynamical differences inside these two planets. Our dynamo hypothesis for Saturn has two essential ingredients. The first concerns about the existence and size of a central core inside Saturn and its influence on Saturn's dynamo

  3. The Atmospheric Dynamics of Alpha Tau (K5 III) -- Clues to Understanding the Magnetic Dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carpenter Kenneth G.

    2008-01-01

    Using HST/GHRS, HST/STIS and FUSE archival data for (alpha) Tau and the CHIANTI spectroscopic code, we have derived line shifts, volumetric emission measures, and plasma density estimates, and calculated filling factors for a number of UV lines forming between 10,000 K and 300,000 K in the outer atmosphere of this red giant star. The data suggest the presence of low-temperature extended regions and high-temperature compact regions, associated with magnetically open and closed structures in the stellar atmosphere, respectively. The signatures of UV lines from Alpha Tau can be consistently understood via a model of upward-traveling Alfven waves in a gravitationally stratified atmosphere. These wakes cause non-thermal broadening in UV lines due to unresolved wave motions and downward plasma motions in compact magnetic loops heated by resonant .4lf\\en wave heating. We discuss implications of this interpretation for understanding the nature of magnetic dynamos operating in late-type giants.

  4. Dynamo Scaling Laws for Uranus and Neptune: The Role of Convective Shell Thickness on Dipolarity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stanley, Sabine; Yunsheng Tian, Bob

    2017-10-01

    Previous dynamo scaling law studies (Christensen and Aubert, 2006) have demonstrated that the morphology of a planet’s magnetic field is determined by the local Rossby number (Ro_l): a non-dimensional diagnostic variable that quantifies the ratio of inertial forces to Coriolis forces on the average length scale of the flow. Dynamos with Ro_l <~ 0.1 produce dipolar dominated magnetic fields whereas dynamos with Ro_l >~ 0.1 produce multipolar magnetic fields. Scaling studies have also determined the dependence of the local Rossby number on non-dimensional parameters governing the system - specifically the Ekman, Prandtl, magnetic Prandtl and flux-based Rayleigh numbers (Olson and Christensen, 2006). When these scaling laws are applied to the planets, it appears that Uranus and Neptune should have dipole-dominated fields, contrary to observations. However, those scaling laws were derived using the specific convective shell thickness of the Earth’s core. Here we investigate the role of convective shell thickness on dynamo scaling laws. We find that the local Rossby number depends exponentially on the convective shell thickness. Including this new dependence on convective shell thickness, we find that the dynamo scaling laws now predict that Uranus and Neptune reside deeply in the multipolar regime, thereby resolving the previous contradiction with observations.

  5. Evolution of Our Understanding of the Solar Dynamo During Solar Cycle 24

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Munoz-Jaramillo, A.

    2017-12-01

    Solar cycle 24 has been an exciting cycle for our understanding of the solar dynamo: 1. It was the first cycle for which dynamo based predictions were ever used teaching us valuable lessons. 2. It has given us the opportunity to observe a deep minimum and a weak cycle with a high level of of observational detail . 3. It is full of breaktrhoughs in anelastic MHD dynamo simulations (regular cycles, buoyant flux-tubes, mounder-like events). 4. It has seen the creation of bridges between the kinematic flux-transport and anelastic MHD approaches. 5. It has ushered a new generation of realistic surface flux-transport simulations 6. We have achieved significant observational progress in our understanding of solar cycle propagation. The objective of this talk is to highlight some of the most important results, giving special emphasis on what they have taught us about solar cycle predictability.

  6. Neutron Generation by Laser-Driven Spherically Convergent Plasma Fusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, G.; Yan, J.; Liu, J.; Lan, K.; Chen, Y. H.; Huo, W. Y.; Fan, Z.; Zhang, X.; Zheng, J.; Chen, Z.; Jiang, W.; Chen, L.; Tang, Q.; Yuan, Z.; Wang, F.; Jiang, S.; Ding, Y.; Zhang, W.; He, X. T.

    2017-04-01

    We investigate a new laser-driven spherically convergent plasma fusion scheme (SCPF) that can produce thermonuclear neutrons stably and efficiently. In the SCPF scheme, laser beams of nanosecond pulse duration and 1 014- 1 015 W /cm2 intensity uniformly irradiate the fuel layer lined inside a spherical hohlraum. The fuel layer is ablated and heated to expand inwards. Eventually, the hot fuel plasmas converge, collide, merge, and stagnate at the central region, converting most of their kinetic energy to internal energy, forming a thermonuclear fusion fireball. With the assumptions of steady ablation and adiabatic expansion, we theoretically predict the neutron yield Yn to be related to the laser energy EL, the hohlraum radius Rh, and the pulse duration τ through a scaling law of Yn∝(EL/Rh1.2τ0.2 )2.5. We have done experiments at the ShengGuangIII-prototype facility to demonstrate the principle of the SCPF scheme. Some important implications are discussed.

  7. Magnetic Flux Concentrations in Stratified Turbulent Plasma Due to Negative Effective Magnetic Pressure Instability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jabbari, S.; Brandenburg, A.

    2014-12-01

    Recent studies have suggested a new mechanism that can be used to explain the formation of magnetic spots or bipolar regions in highly stratified turbulent plasmas. According to this model, a large-scale magnetic field suppresses the turbulent pressure, which leads to a negative contribution of turbulence to the effective magnetic pressure. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) have confirmed that the negative contribution is large enough so that the effective magnetic pressure becomes negative and leads to a large-scale instability, which we refer to as negative effective magnetic pressure Instability (NEMPI). NEMPI was used to explain the formation of active regions and sunspots on the solar surface. One step toward improving this model was to combine dynamo in- stability with NEMPI. The dynamo is known to be responsible for the solar large-scale magnetic field and to play a role in solar activity. In this context, we studied stratified turbulent plasmas in spherical geometry, where the background field was generated by alpha squared dynamo. For NEMPI to be excited, the initial magnetic field should be in a proper range, so we used quenching function for alpha. Using the Pencil Code and mean field simulations (MFS), we showed that in the presence of dynamo-generated magnetic fields, we deal with a coupled system, where both instabilities, dynamo and NEMPI, work together and lead to the formation of magnetic structures (Jabbari et al. 2013). We also studied a similar system in plane geometry in the presence of rotation and confirmed that for slow rotation NEMPI works, but as the Coriolis number increases, the rotation suppresses NEMPI. By increasing the Coriolis number even further, the combination of fast rotation and high stratification excites a dynamo, which leads again to a coupled system of dynamo and NEMPI (Jabbari et al. 2014). Another important finding concerning NEMPI is the case where the instability is excited by a vertical magnetic field (Brandenburg et

  8. Processing Doppler Lidar and Cloud Radar Observations for Analysis of Convective Mass Flux Parameterizations Using DYNAMO Direct Observations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-30

    for Analysis of Convective Mass Flux Parameterizations Using DYNAMO Direct Observations R. Michael Hardesty CIRES/University of Colorado/NOAA 325...the RV-Revell during legs 2 & 3 of the DYNAMO experiement to help characterize vertical transport through the boundary layer and to build statistics...obtained during DYNAMO , and to investigate whether cold pools that emanate from convection organize the interplay between humidity and convection and

  9. Oscillating dynamo in the presence of a fossil magnetic field - The solar cycle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Levy, E. H.; Boyer, D.

    1982-01-01

    Hydromagnetic dynamo generation of oscillating magnetic fields in the presence of an external, ambient magnetic field introduces a marked polarity asymmetry between the two halves of the magnetic cycle. The principle of oscillating dynamo interaction with external fields is developed, and a tentative application to the sun is described. In the sun a dipole moment associated with the stable fluid beneath the convection zone would produce an asymmetrical solar cycle.

  10. Observation of plasma rotation driven by static nonaxisymmetric magnetic fields in a tokamak.

    PubMed

    Garofalo, A M; Burrell, K H; DeBoo, J C; deGrassie, J S; Jackson, G L; Lanctot, M; Reimerdes, H; Schaffer, M J; Solomon, W M; Strait, E J

    2008-11-07

    We present the first evidence for the existence of a neoclassical toroidal rotation driven in a direction counter to the plasma current by nonaxisymmetric, nonresonant magnetic fields. At high beta and with large injected neutral beam momentum, the nonresonant field torque slows down the plasma toward the neoclassical "offset" rotation rate. With small injected neutral beam momentum, the toroidal rotation is accelerated toward the offset rotation, with resulting improvement in the global energy confinement time. The observed magnitude, direction, and radial profile of the offset rotation are consistent with neoclassical theory predictions.

  11. The magnetically driven plasma jet produces a pressure of 33 GPa on PTS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Qiang; Dan, Jiakun; Wang, Guilin; Guo, Shuai; Zhang, Siqun; Cai, Hongchun; Ren, Xiao; Wang, Kunlun; Zhou, Shaotong; Zhang, Zhaohui; Huang, Xianbin

    2017-01-01

    We report on experiments in which a magnetically driven plasma jet was used to hit a 500 μm thick planar aluminum target. The plasma jet was produced by using a 50 μm thick aluminum radial foil, which was subjected to 4 MA, 90 ns rising time current on the primary test stand pulsed power facility. The subsequent magnetic bubbles propagate with radial velocity reaching 200 km/s and an axial velocity of 230 km/s. After the plasma knocks onto the target, a shock forms in the target. When the shock gets to the backside of the target, we measure the velocity of the moving surface using dual laser heterodyne velocimetry. By using the Hugoniot relations, we know that the plasma jet produced a pressure of 33 GPa. According to the measured pressure and the velocity of the plasma jet, the density of the jet can be also roughly estimated.

  12. Dynamo magnetic-field generation in turbulent accretion disks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, T. F.

    1991-01-01

    Magnetic fields can play important roles in the dynamics and evolution of accretion disks. The presence of strong differential rotation and vertical density gradients in turbulent disks allows the alpha-omega dynamo mechanism to offset the turbulent dissipation and maintain strong magnetic fields. It is found that MHD dynamo magnetic-field normal modes in an accretion disk are highly localized to restricted regions of a disk. Implications for the character of real, dynamically constrained magnetic fields in accretion disks are discussed. The magnetic stress due to the mean magnetic field is found to be of the order of a viscous stress. The dominant stress, however, is likely to come from small-scale fluctuating magnetic fields. These fields may also give rise to energetic flares above the disk surface, providing a possible explanation for the highly variable hard X-ray emission from objects like Cyg X-l.

  13. Temporal and spatial evolution of nanosecond microwave-driven plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, C.; Chen, X. Q.; Zhu, M.; Pu, Y. K.

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, a method for simultaneously acquiring the temporal and spatial evolution of characteristic plasma spectra in a single microwave pulse is proposed and studied. By using multi-sub-beam fiber bundles coupled with a spectrometer and EMICCD (Electron-multiplying intensified charge-coupled device), the spatial distribution and time evolution of characteristic spectra of desorbed gases at the dielectric/vacuum interface during nanosecond microwave-driven plasma discharge are observed. Arrays of small align tubes punctured with metal walls of feed horn are filled with separate fibers of matched sizes and equal lengths. The output ends of fibers arranged in a single longitudinal column are connected to the entrance slit of a spectrometer, where the optical spectrum inputs to a high-speed EMICCD, to detect the rapid-varying time and space spectra of nanosecond giga-watt microwave discharges. The evolution of spectral clusters of N2 (C-B), N2+ (B-X), and the hydrogen atoms is discovered and monitored. The whole duration of light emission is much longer than the microwave pulse, and the intensities of ion N2+ (B-X) spectra increase after microwave pulses with rise times of 25-50 ns. The brightness distribution of plasma spectra in different space is observed and approximately consistent with the simulated E-field distribution.

  14. Anelastic spherical dynamos with radially variable electrical conductivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dietrich, W.; Jones, C. A.

    2018-05-01

    A series of numerical simulations of the dynamo process operating inside gas giant planets has been performed. We use an anelastic, fully nonlinear, three-dimensional, benchmarked MHD code to evolve the flow, entropy and magnetic field. Our models take into account the varying electrical conductivity, high in the ionised metallic hydrogen region, low in the molecular outer region. Our suite of electrical conductivity profiles ranges from Jupiter-like, where the outer hydrodynamic region is quite thin, to Saturn-like, where there is a thick non-conducting shell. The rapid rotation leads to the formation of two distinct dynamical regimes which are separated by a magnetic tangent cylinder - mTC. Outside the mTC there are strong zonal flows, where Reynolds stress balances turbulent viscosity, but inside the mTC Lorentz force reduces the zonal flow. The dynamic interaction between both regions induces meridional circulation. We find a rich diversity of magnetic field morphologies. There are Jupiter-like steady dipolar fields, and a belt of quadrupolar dominated dynamos spanning the range of models between Jupiter-like and Saturn-like conductivity profiles. This diversity may be linked to the appearance of reversed sign helicity in the metallic regions of our dynamos. With Saturn-like conductivity profiles we find models with dipolar magnetic fields, whose axisymmetric components resemble those of Saturn, and which oscillate on a very long time-scale. However, the non-axisymmetric field components of our models are at least ten times larger than those of Saturn, possibly due to the absence of any stably stratified layer.

  15. The Role of Diffusivity Quenching in Flux-transport Dynamo Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guerrero, Gustavo; Dikpati, Mausumi; de Gouveia Dal Pino, Elisabete M.

    2009-08-01

    In the nonlinear phase of a dynamo process, the back-reaction of the magnetic field upon the turbulent motion results in a decrease of the turbulence level and therefore in a suppression of both the magnetic field amplification (the α-quenching effect) and the turbulent magnetic diffusivity (the η-quenching effect). While the former has been widely explored, the effects of η-quenching in the magnetic field evolution have rarely been considered. In this work, we investigate the role of the suppression of diffusivity in a flux-transport solar dynamo model that also includes a nonlinear α-quenching term. Our results indicate that, although for α-quenching the dependence of the magnetic field amplification with the quenching factor is nearly linear, the magnetic field response to η-quenching is nonlinear and spatially nonuniform. We have found that the magnetic field can be locally amplified in this case, forming long-lived structures whose maximum amplitude can be up to ~2.5 times larger at the tachocline and up to ~2 times larger at the center of the convection zone than in models without quenching. However, this amplification leads to unobservable effects and to a worse distribution of the magnetic field in the butterfly diagram. Since the dynamo cycle period increases when the efficiency of the quenching increases, we have also explored whether the η-quenching can cause a diffusion-dominated model to drift into an advection-dominated regime. We have found that models undergoing a large suppression in η produce a strong segregation of magnetic fields that may lead to unsteady dynamo-oscillations. On the other hand, an initially diffusion-dominated model undergoing a small suppression in η remains in the diffusion-dominated regime.

  16. Procyon: A New Candidate for the Dynamo Clinical Trial

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayres, Thomas

    2015-09-01

    Procyon (Alp CMi; F5IV-V) is a bright, nearby subgiant; similar in X-ray emission to the Sun, but very different in mass, luminosity, and evolutionary status. Historical Mt Wilson CaII monitoring was inconclusive whether Procyon has a solar-like 11-yr magnetic cycle, or instead is a "flat-activity" star, as might be guessed from its late-MS-age. However, CaII is a poor magnetic proxy for F-types owing to low spectral contrast. X-rays are better. In fact, Procyon - with some X-ray/UV attention over the past two decades - is an excellent candidate for the ongoing "Dynamo Clinical Trial" sponsored by Chandra, XMM, and HST; ultimately to provide a "calibration" of novel theoretical models that seek to couple the inside Dynamo with the outside corona.

  17. Public Data Set: Non-inductively Driven Tokamak Plasmas at Near-Unity βt in the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reusch, Joshua A.; Bodner, Grant M.; Bongard, Michael W.

    This public data set contains openly-documented, machine readable digital research data corresponding to figures published in J.A. Reusch et al., 'Non-inductively Driven Tokamak Plasmas at Near-Unity βt in the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment,' Phys. Plasmas 25, 056101 (2018).

  18. Dynamo Enhancement and Mode Selection Triggered by High Magnetic Permeability.

    PubMed

    Kreuzahler, S; Ponty, Y; Plihon, N; Homann, H; Grauer, R

    2017-12-08

    We present results from consistent dynamo simulations, where the electrically conducting and incompressible flow inside a cylinder vessel is forced by moving impellers numerically implemented by a penalization method. The numerical scheme models jumps of magnetic permeability for the solid impellers, resembling various configurations tested experimentally in the von Kármán sodium experiment. The most striking experimental observations are reproduced in our set of simulations. In particular, we report on the existence of a time-averaged axisymmetric dynamo mode, self-consistently generated when the magnetic permeability of the impellers exceeds a threshold. We describe a possible scenario involving both the turbulent flow in the vicinity of the impellers and the high magnetic permeability of the impellers.

  19. Disorder in the Disk: The Influence of Accretion Disk Thickness on the Large-scale Magnetic Dynamo.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hogg, J. Drew; Reynolds, Christopher S.

    2018-01-01

    The evolution of the magnetic field from the enigmatic large-scale dynamo is often considered a central feature of the accretion disk around a black hole. The resulting low-frequency oscillations introduced from the growth and decay of the field strength, along with the change in field orientation, are thought to be intimately tied to variability from the disk. Several factors are at play, but the dynamo can either be directly tied to observable signatures through modulation of the heating rate, or indirectly as the source of quasiperiodic oscillations, the driver of nonlinear structure from propagating fluctuations in mass accretion rate, or even the trigger of state transitions. We present a selection of results from a recent study of this process using a suite of four global, high-resolution, MHD accretion disk simulations. We systematically vary the scale height ratio and find the large-scale dynamo fails to develop above a scale height ratio of h/r ≥ 0.2. Using “butterfly” diagrams of the azimuthal magnetic field, we show the large-scale dynamo exists in the thinner accretion disk models, but fails to excite when the scale height ratio is increased, a feature which is also reflected in 2D Fourier transforms. Additionally, we calculate the dynamo α-parameter through correlations in the averaged magnetic field and turbulent electromotive force, and also generate synthetic light curves from the disk cooling. Using our emission proxy, we find the disks have markedly different characters as photometric fluctuations are larger and less ordered when the disk is thicker and the dynamo is absent.

  20. Lifetime of the Lunar Dynamo Constrained by the Young Apollo Regolith Breccia 15015

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, H.; Weiss, B. P.

    2016-12-01

    Paleomagnetic studies have shown that a dynamo magnetic field of tens of µT likely existed on the surface of the Moon from at least 4.5 to 3.6 Ga and declined to several µT by 3.3 Ga [Weiss and Tikoo, 2014]. Furthermore, a recent analysis of lunar regolith breccia 15498 found that the lunar surface field was still 5 µT at 1-2.5 Ga [Tikoo et al., 2015]. However, a key unknown is when the dynamo finally ceased. To address this, we studied the melt glass matrix of Apollo lunar regolith breccia 15015. 40Ar/39Ar measurements suggest that the glass formed at 1.0 ± 0.2 Ga [Eglinton et al., 1974], consistent with its trapped 40Ar/36Ar model age of 0.5 ± 0.4 Ga [Fagan et al. 2014]. Hysteresis data indicate a predominately pseudo-single domain grain size, making 15015 an exceptional paleomagnetic recorder among lunar rocks. Alternating field (AF) demagnetization and anhysteretic remanence (ARM) paleointensity experiments found that 15015 subsamples with faces exposed to band-saw cutting at Johnson Space Center contain highly stable natural remanence (NRM) (>420 mT) and yield paleointensities up to 60 µT, but have NRM directions that are highly non-unidirectional across the parent sample. Subsamples taken away from the saw-cut faces (>5 mm depth) contain no stable NRM and formed in a paleofield <0.1 µT (Fig. 1). Thermal demagnetization of band-sawed samples found that their AF-stable NRM demagnetizes by 150ºC, indicating that their stable NRMs are in fact partial thermoremanence (TRM) overprints from the band-saw cutting process, rather than true lunar total TRM. Thus, the lunar surface paleomagnetic field recorded by 15015 was apparently extremely weak (<0.1 µT) at 1.0 Ga. For typically assumed lunar interior parameters, essentially all published models of the lunar dynamo predict surface fields >0.1 µT for > 90% of the time period while the dynamo is active. Such a minimum field is comparable to estimates of the strongest lunar crustal surface fields and below

  1. Constraining the Date of the Martian Dynamo Shutdown by Means of Crater Magnetization Signatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vervelidou, Foteini; Lesur, Vincent; Grott, Matthias; Morschhauser, Achim; Lillis, Robert J.

    2017-11-01

    Mars is believed to have possessed a dynamo that ceased operating approximately 4 Ga ago, although the exact time is still under debate. The scope of this study is to constrain the possible timing of its cessation by studying the magnetization signatures of craters. The study uses the latest available model of the lithospheric magnetic field of Mars, which is based on Mars Global Surveyor data. We tackle the problem of nonuniqueness that characterizes the inversion of magnetic field data for the magnetization by inferring only the visible part of the magnetization, that is, the part of the magnetization that gives rise to the observed magnetic field. Further on, we demonstrate that a zero visible magnetization is a valid proxy for the entire magnetization being zero under the assumption of a magnetization distribution of induced geometry. This assumption holds for craters whose thermoremanent magnetization has not been significantly altered since its acquisition. Our results show that the dynamo shut off after the impacts that created the Acidalia and SE Elysium basins and before the crust within the Utopia basin cooled below its magnetic blocking temperature. Accounting for the age uncertainties in the dating of these craters, we estimate that the dynamo shut off at an N(300) crater retention age of 2.5-3.2 or an absolute model age of 4.12-4.14 Ga. Moreover, the Martian dynamo may have been weaker in its early stage, which if true implies that the driving mechanism of the Martian dynamo was not the same throughout its history.

  2. Electromagnetically Driven Plasma-Field Dynamics in Modified Ionosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kochetov, Andrey; Terina, Galina

    Under sounding of an artificial ionospheric turbulence by short probing radio pulses of ordinary polarization the two types of scattered signals were observed: a "caviton" signal (CS) and a "plasma" signal (PS), which appeared with the heating transmitter switching on and disap-peared after its switching off (G.I. Terina J. Atm. Terr. Phys, 57, 1995, 273, Izv. VUZov, Radiofizika, 39, 1998, 203). The scattered signal of PS type was revealed also after the heating switching off. It was called an "aftereffect plasma signal" (AEPS) (G.I. Terina Izv .VUZov, Radiofizika, 43, 2000, 958). This signal had large time and spatial delays and appeared mostly when corresponding PS had envelope fluctuations. The aftereffect phenomenon was expressed at time on CS by amplitude increasing at once after the heating transmitter turning off. The theoretical model of this phenomenon is proposed in and some peculiarities of the aftereffect phenomena of the scattered signals in modified ionospheric plasma are considered and discussed. For theoretical interpretation of the characteristics of CS and AEPS the numerical solution of nonlinear Shrüdinger equation (NSE) with driven extension were carried out in inhomogeneous plasma layer with linear electron density profile (A.V. Kochetov, V.A. Mironov, G.I. Terina, Adv. Space Reseacrh, 29, 2002, 1369) and for the one with prescribed density depletion (and A.V. Kochetov, G.I. Terina, Adv. Space Reseacrh, 38, 2006, 2490). The simulation results obtained for linear inhomogeneous plasma layer and for plasma one with density depletion al-low us to interpret the aftereffect of CS and PS qualitatively. The field amplitude increase at relaxation stage displayed at calculations allows us to interpret of CS aftereffect. The large time delays of AEPS can be explained as a result of powerful radio waves trapping in the forming at the plasma resonance regions density depletions (E. Mjøhus, J. Geophys. Res. 103, 1998, 14711; B. Eliasson and L. Stenflo, J

  3. DYNAMO EFFECTS NEAR THE TRANSITION FROM SOLAR TO ANTI-SOLAR DIFFERENTIAL ROTATION

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simitev, Radostin D.; Kosovichev, Alexander G.; Busse, Friedrich H.

    2015-09-01

    Numerical MHD simulations play an increasingly important role for understanding the mechanisms of stellar magnetism. We present simulations of convection and dynamos in density-stratified rotating spherical fluid shells. We employ a new 3D simulation code for obtaining the solution of a physically consistent anelastic model of the process with a minimum number of parameters. The reported dynamo simulations extend into a “buoyancy-dominated” regime where the buoyancy forcing is dominant while the Coriolis force is no longer balanced by pressure gradients, and strong anti-solar differential rotation develops as a result. We find that the self-generated magnetic fields, despite being relatively weak,more » are able to reverse the direction of differential rotation from anti-solar to solar-like. We also find that convection flows in this regime are significantly stronger in the polar regions than in the equatorial region, leading to non-oscillatory dipole-dominated dynamo solutions, and to a concentration of magnetic field in the polar regions. We observe that convection has a different morphology in the inner and the outer part of the convection zone simultaneously such that organized geostrophic convection columns are hidden below a near-surface layer of well-mixed highly chaotic convection. While we focus our attention on the buoyancy-dominated regime, we also demonstrate that conical differential rotation profiles and persistent regular dynamo oscillations can be obtained in the parameter space of the rotation-dominated regime even within this minimal model.« less

  4. MEAN-FIELD MODELING OF AN α{sup 2} DYNAMO COUPLED WITH DIRECT NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF RIGIDLY ROTATING CONVECTION

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Masada, Youhei; Sano, Takayoshi, E-mail: ymasada@harbor.kobe-u.ac.jp, E-mail: sano@ile.osaka-u.ac.jp

    2014-10-10

    The mechanism of large-scale dynamos in rigidly rotating stratified convection is explored by direct numerical simulations (DNS) in Cartesian geometry. A mean-field dynamo model is also constructed using turbulent velocity profiles consistently extracted from the corresponding DNS results. By quantitative comparison between the DNS and our mean-field model, it is demonstrated that the oscillatory α{sup 2} dynamo wave, excited and sustained in the convection zone, is responsible for large-scale magnetic activities such as cyclic polarity reversal and spatiotemporal migration. The results provide strong evidence that a nonuniformity of the α-effect, which is a natural outcome of rotating stratified convection, canmore » be an important prerequisite for large-scale stellar dynamos, even without the Ω-effect.« less

  5. Numerical modeling of the thin shallow solar dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Bryan, J. B.; Jarboe, T. R.

    2017-10-01

    Nonlinear, numerical computation with the NIMROD code is used to explore and validate the thin shallow solar dynamo model [T.R. Jarboe et al. 2017], which explains the observed global temporal evolution (e.g. magnetic field reversal) and local surface structures (e.g. sunspots) of the sun. The key feature of this model is the presence and magnetic self-organization of global magnetic structures (GMS) lying just below the surface of the sun, which resemble 1D radial Taylor states of size comparable to the supergranule convection cells. First, we seek to validate the thin shallow solar dynamo model by reproducing the 11 year timescale for reversal of the solar magnetic field. Then, we seek to model formation of GMS from convection zone turbulence. Our computations simulate a slab covering a radial depth 3Mm and include differential rotation and gravity. Density, temperature, and resistivity profiles are taken from the Christensen-Dalsgaard model.

  6. Equilibrium and stability of flow-dominated Plasmas in the Big Red Ball

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siller, Robert; Flanagan, Kenneth; Peterson, Ethan; Milhone, Jason; Mirnov, Vladimir; Forest, Cary

    2017-10-01

    The equilibrium and linear stability of flow-dominated plasmas are studied numerically using a spectral techniques to model MRI and dynamo experiments in the Big Red Ball device. The equilibrium code solves for steady-state magnetic fields and plasma flows subject to boundary conditions in a spherical domain. It has been benchmarked with NIMROD (non-ideal MHD with rotation - open discussion), Two different flow scenarios are studied. The first scenario creates a differentially rotating toroidal flow that is peaked at the center. This is done to explore the onset of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in a spherical geometry. The second scenario creates a counter-rotating von Karman-like flow in the presence of a weak magnetic field. This is done to explore the plasma dynamo instability in the limit of a weak applied field. Both scenarios are numerically modeled as axisymmetric flow to create a steady-state equilibrium solution, the stability and normal modes are studied in the lowest toroidal mode number. The details of the observed flow, and the structure of the fastest growing modes will be shown. DoE, NSF.

  7. Magnetic field variation caused by rotational speed change in a magnetohydrodynamic dynamo.

    PubMed

    Miyagoshi, Takehiro; Hamano, Yozo

    2013-09-20

    We have performed numerical magnetohydrodynamic dynamo simulations in a spherical shell with rotational speed or length-of-day (LOD) variation, which is motivated by correlations between geomagnetic field and climatic variations with ice and non-ice ages. The results show that LOD variation leads to magnetic field variation whose amplitude is considerably larger than that of LOD variation. The heat flux at the outer sphere and the zonal flow also change. The mechanism of the magnetic field variation due to LOD variation is also found. The keys are changes of dynamo activity and Joule heating.

  8. Two spinning ways for precession dynamo.

    PubMed

    Cappanera, L; Guermond, J-L; Léorat, J; Nore, C

    2016-04-01

    It is numerically demonstrated by means of a magnetohydrodynamic code that precession can trigger dynamo action in a cylindrical container. Fixing the angle between the spin and the precession axis to be 1/2π, two limit configurations of the spinning axis are explored: either the symmetry axis of the cylinder is parallel to the spin axis (this configuration is henceforth referred to as the axial spin case), or it is perpendicular to the spin axis (this configuration is referred to as the equatorial spin case). In both cases, the centro-symmetry of the flow breaks when the kinetic Reynolds number increases. Equatorial spinning is found to be more efficient in breaking the centro-symmetry of the flow. In both cases, the average flow in the reference frame of the mantle converges to a counter-rotation with respect to the spin axis as the Reynolds number grows. We find a scaling law for the average kinetic energy in term of the Reynolds number in the axial spin case. In the equatorial spin case, the unsteady asymmetric flow is shown to be capable of sustaining dynamo action in the linear and nonlinear regimes. The magnetic field is mainly dipolar in the equatorial spin case, while it is is mainly quadrupolar in the axial spin case.

  9. Modeling dynamic plasmas driven by ultraintense nano-focused x-ray laser pulses in solid iron targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Royle, Ryan; Sentoku, Yasuhiko; Mancini, Roberto

    2017-10-01

    The hard x-ray free electron laser has proven to be a valuable tool for high energy density (HED) physics as it is able to produce well-characterized samples of HED matter at exactly solid density and homogeneous temperatures. However, if the x-ray pulses are focused to sub-micron spot sizes, where peak intensities can exceed 1020 W/cm2, the plasmas driven by sources of non-thermal photoelectrons and Auger electrons can be highly dynamic and so cannot be modeled by atomic kinetics or fluid codes. We apply the 2D/3D particle-in-cell code, PICLS-which has been extended with numerous physics models to enable the simulation of XFEL-driven plasmas-to the modeling of such dynamic plasmas driven by nano-focused XFEL pulses in solid iron targets. In the case of the smallest focal spot investigated of just 100 nm in diameter, keV plasmas induce strong radial E-fields that accelerate keV ions radially as well as sheath fields that accelerate surface ions to hundreds of keV. The heated spot, which is initially larger than the laser spot due to the kinetic nature of the fast Auger electrons, expands as ion and electron waves propagate radially, leaving a low density region along the laser axis. This research was supported by the US DOE-OFES under Grant No. DE-SC0008827, the DOE-NNSA under Grant No. DE-NA0002075, and the JSPS KAKENHI under Grant No. JP15K21767.

  10. Derivation of dynamo current drive in a closed-current volume and stable current sustainment in the HIT-SI experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hossack, A. C.; Sutherland, D. A.; Jarboe, T. R.

    2017-02-01

    A derivation is given showing that the current inside a closed-current volume can be sustained against resistive dissipation by appropriately phased magnetic perturbations. Imposed-dynamo current drive theory is used to predict the toroidal current evolution in the helicity injected torus with steady inductive helicity injection (HIT-SI) experiment as a function of magnetic fluctuations at the edge. Analysis of magnetic fields from a HIT-SI discharge shows that the injector-imposed fluctuations are sufficient to sustain the measured toroidal current without instabilities whereas the small, plasma-generated magnetic fluctuations are not sufficiently large to sustain the current.

  11. A large-scale dynamo and magnetoturbulence in rapidly rotating core-collapse supernovae.

    PubMed

    Mösta, Philipp; Ott, Christian D; Radice, David; Roberts, Luke F; Schnetter, Erik; Haas, Roland

    2015-12-17

    Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence is important in many high-energy astrophysical systems, where instabilities can amplify the local magnetic field over very short timescales. Specifically, the magnetorotational instability and dynamo action have been suggested as a mechanism for the growth of magnetar-strength magnetic fields (of 10(15) gauss and above) and for powering the explosion of a rotating massive star. Such stars are candidate progenitors of type Ic-bl hypernovae, which make up all supernovae that are connected to long γ-ray bursts. The magnetorotational instability has been studied with local high-resolution shearing-box simulations in three dimensions, and with global two-dimensional simulations, but it is not known whether turbulence driven by this instability can result in the creation of a large-scale, ordered and dynamically relevant field. Here we report results from global, three-dimensional, general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence simulations. We show that hydromagnetic turbulence in rapidly rotating protoneutron stars produces an inverse cascade of energy. We find a large-scale, ordered toroidal field that is consistent with the formation of bipolar magnetorotationally driven outflows. Our results demonstrate that rapidly rotating massive stars are plausible progenitors for both type Ic-bl supernovae and long γ-ray bursts, and provide a viable mechanism for the formation of magnetars. Moreover, our findings suggest that rapidly rotating massive stars might lie behind potentially magnetar-powered superluminous supernovae.

  12. Laser-driven acceleration of electrons in a partially ionized plasma channel.

    PubMed

    Rowlands-Rees, T P; Kamperidis, C; Kneip, S; Gonsalves, A J; Mangles, S P D; Gallacher, J G; Brunetti, E; Ibbotson, T; Murphy, C D; Foster, P S; Streeter, M J V; Budde, F; Norreys, P A; Jaroszynski, D A; Krushelnick, K; Najmudin, Z; Hooker, S M

    2008-03-14

    The generation of quasimonoenergetic electron beams, with energies up to 200 MeV, by a laser-plasma accelerator driven in a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide is investigated. Injection and acceleration of electrons is found to depend sensitively on the delay between the onset of the discharge current and the arrival of the laser pulse. A comparison of spectroscopic and interferometric measurements suggests that injection is assisted by laser ionization of atoms or ions within the channel.

  13. Thermopyhsical conditions for the onset of a core dynamo in Vesta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Formisano, Michelangelo; Federico, Costanzo; De Angelis, Simone; De Sanctis, Maria Cristina; Magni, Gianfranco

    2016-04-01

    Recently, a study on the magnetization of the eucrite meteorite Allan Hills A81001 [1] has suggested the possibility that, in its primordial history, Vesta had an active core dynamo. The magnetic field associated could have preserved Vesta from the space-weathering. In this work, using a parametrized thermal convection method, we verified the thermophysical conditions for the onset of a core dynamo. The starting point is a post-differentiated structure [2,3,4], made of a metallic core, silicate mantle and rocky crust. We explored four different fully differentiated configurations of Vesta [5], characterized by different chondritic composition, with the constraints on the core size and density provided by [6]. We also explored three different scaling laws for the core velocity (mixing-length theory, MAC and an intermediate case). Core and mantle have both a temperature-dependent viscosity, which is the parameter that largely influences the magnetic Reynolds number and the dynamo duration. Our results suggest that Vesta had an active dynamo, whose duration lies in the range 150-500 Myr and the more appropriate scaling law for the core velocity is that given by the mixing-length theory. The maximum strength of the primordial core magnetic field is compatible with the estimations provided by [1]. [1] Fu, R. et al, 2012, Science 338, 238 [2] Ghosh, A. and McSween, H.Y., 1998, Icarus, 134, 187 [3] Formisano, M. et al., 2013, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 48, 2316 [4] Neumann, W., et al., 2014, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 395, 267 [5] Toplis, M.J., et al., 2013, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 48, 2300 [6] Ermakov, A.I., et al.2014, Icarus, 240, 146

  14. Confinement of the solar tachocline by a cyclic dynamo magnetic field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barnabé, Roxane; Strugarek, Antoine; Charbonneau, Paul; Brun, Allan Sacha; Zahn, Jean-Paul

    2017-05-01

    Context. The surprising thinness of the solar tachocline is still not understood with certainty today. Among the numerous possible scenarios suggested to explain its radial confinement, one hypothesis is based on Maxwell stresses that are exerted by the cyclic dynamo magnetic field of the Sun penetrating over a skin depth below the turbulent convection zone. Aims: Our goal is to assess under which conditions (turbulence level in the tachocline, strength of the dynamo-generated field, spreading mechanism) this scenario can be realized in the solar tachocline. Methods: We develop a simplified 1D model of the upper tachocline under the influence of an oscillating magnetic field imposed from above. The turbulent transport is parametrized with enhanced turbulent diffusion (or anti-diffusion) coefficients. Two main processes that thicken the tachocline are considered; either turbulent viscous spreading or radiative spreading. An extensive parameter study is carried out to establish the physical parameter regimes under which magnetic confinement of the tachocline that is due to a surface dynamo field can be realized. Results: We have explored a large range of magnetic field amplitudes, viscosities, ohmic diffusivities and thermal diffusivities. We find that, for large but still realistic magnetic field strengths, the differential rotation can be suppressed in the upper radiative zone (and hence the tachocline confined) if weak turbulence is present (with an enhanced ohmic diffusivity of η> 107-8 cm2/ s), even in the presence of radiative spreading. Conclusions: Our results show that a dynamo magnetic field can, in the presence of weak turbulence, prevent the inward burrowing of a tachocline subject to viscous diffusion or radiative spreading.

  15. A High-Resolution Merged Wind Dataset for DYNAMO: Progress and Future Plans

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lang, Timothy J.; Mecikalski, John; Li, Xuanli; Chronis, Themis; Castillo, Tyler; Hoover, Kacie; Brewer, Alan; Churnside, James; McCarty, Brandi; Hein, Paul; hide

    2015-01-01

    In order to support research on optimal data assimilation methods for the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), launching in 2016, work has been ongoing to produce a high-resolution merged wind dataset for the Dynamics of the Madden Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) field campaign, which took place during late 2011/early 2012. The winds are produced by assimilating DYNAMO observations into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) system. Data sources from the DYNAMO campaign include the upper-air sounding network, radial velocities from the radar network, vector winds from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) and Oceansat-2 Scatterometer (OSCAT) satellite instruments, the NOAA High Resolution Doppler Lidar (HRDL), and several others. In order the prep them for 3DVAR, significant additional quality control work is being done for the currently available TOGA and SMART-R radar datasets, including automatically dealiasing radial velocities and correcting for intermittent TOGA antenna azimuth angle errors. The assimilated winds are being made available as model output fields from WRF on two separate grids with different horizontal resolutions - a 3-km grid focusing on the main DYNAMO quadrilateral (i.e., Gan Island, the R/V Revelle, the R/V Mirai, and Diego Garcia), and a 1-km grid focusing on the Revelle. The wind dataset is focused on three separate approximately 2-week periods during the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) onsets that occurred in October, November, and December 2011. Work is ongoing to convert the 10-m surface winds from these model fields to simulated CYGNSS observations using the CYGNSS End-To-End Simulator (E2ES), and these simulated satellite observations are being compared to radar observations of DYNAMO precipitation systems to document the anticipated ability of CYGNSS to provide information on the relationships between surface winds and oceanic precipitation at the mesoscale level. This research will

  16. Neutron Generation by Laser-Driven Spherically Convergent Plasma Fusion.

    PubMed

    Ren, G; Yan, J; Liu, J; Lan, K; Chen, Y H; Huo, W Y; Fan, Z; Zhang, X; Zheng, J; Chen, Z; Jiang, W; Chen, L; Tang, Q; Yuan, Z; Wang, F; Jiang, S; Ding, Y; Zhang, W; He, X T

    2017-04-21

    We investigate a new laser-driven spherically convergent plasma fusion scheme (SCPF) that can produce thermonuclear neutrons stably and efficiently. In the SCPF scheme, laser beams of nanosecond pulse duration and 10^{14}-10^{15}  W/cm^{2} intensity uniformly irradiate the fuel layer lined inside a spherical hohlraum. The fuel layer is ablated and heated to expand inwards. Eventually, the hot fuel plasmas converge, collide, merge, and stagnate at the central region, converting most of their kinetic energy to internal energy, forming a thermonuclear fusion fireball. With the assumptions of steady ablation and adiabatic expansion, we theoretically predict the neutron yield Y_{n} to be related to the laser energy E_{L}, the hohlraum radius R_{h}, and the pulse duration τ through a scaling law of Y_{n}∝(E_{L}/R_{h}^{1.2}τ^{0.2})^{2.5}. We have done experiments at the ShengGuangIII-prototype facility to demonstrate the principle of the SCPF scheme. Some important implications are discussed.

  17. Babcock-Leighton Solar Dynamo: The Role of Downward Pumping and the Equatorward Propagation of Activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karak, Bidya Binay; Cameron, Robert

    2016-11-01

    The key elements of the Babcock-Leighton dynamos are the generation of poloidal field through decay and the dispersal of tilted bipolar active regions and the generation of toroidal field through the observed differential rotation. These models are traditionally known as flux transport dynamo models as the equatorward propagations of the butterfly wings in these models are produced due to an equatorward flow at the bottom of the convection zone. Here we investigate the role of downward magnetic pumping near the surface using a kinematic Babcock-Leighton model. We find that the pumping causes the poloidal field to become predominately radial in the near-surface shear layer, which allows the negative radial shear to effectively act on the radial field to produce a toroidal field. We observe a clear equatorward migration of the toroidal field at low latitudes as a consequence of the dynamo wave even when there is no meridional flow in the deep convection zone. Both the dynamo wave and the flux transport type solutions are thus able to reproduce some of the observed features of the solar cycle including the 11-year periodicity. The main difference between the two types of solutions is the strength of the Babcock-Leighton source required to produce the dynamo action. A second consequence of the magnetic pumping is that it suppresses the diffusion of fields through the surface, which helps to allow an 11-year cycle at (moderately) larger values of magnetic diffusivity than have previously been used.

  18. Fluid simulation of relativistic electron beam driven wakefield in a cold plasma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bera, Ratan Kumar; Sengupta, Sudip; Das, Amita

    Excitation of wakefield in a cold homogeneous plasma, driven by an ultra-relativistic electron beam is studied in one dimension using fluid simulation techniques. For a homogeneous rigid beam having density (n{sub b}) less than or equal to half the plasma density (n{sub 0}), simulation results are found to be in good agreement with the analytical work of Rosenzweig [Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 555 (1987)]. Here, Rosenzweig's work has been analytically extended to regimes where the ratio of beam density to plasma density is greater than half and results have been verified using simulation. Further in contrast to Rosenzweig's work, ifmore » the beam is allowed to evolve in a self-consistent manner, several interesting features are observed in simulation viz. splitting of the beam into beam-lets (for l{sub b} > λ{sub p}) and compression of the beam (for l{sub b} < λ{sub p}), l{sub b} and λ{sub p}, respectively, being the initial beam length and plasma wavelength.« less

  19. Initial 60Fe Abundance in the Solar Nebula Constrained by Delayed Onset of a Planetesimal Dynamo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, H.; Weiss, B. P.; Crowley, J.

    2017-12-01

    The paleomagnetism of meteorites provides evidence for advecting metallic core dynamos and large-scale differentiation on their parent planetesimals. Their small sizes relative to planets enable new opportunities to understand the physics of dynamo generation. Wang et al. [2017] studied the paleomagnetism of three volcanic angrites (D'Orbigny, 4563.37±0.12 Ma; Sahara 99555, 4563.54±0.14 Ma; Asuka 881371, 4562.4±1.6 Ma) and one plutonic angrite (Angra dos Reis, 4556.51±0.11 Ma). Their results show that the older volcanic angrites recorded no detectable paleomagnetic field, while the younger plutonic angrite recorded a paleomagnetic field of 17 µT interpreted as evidence of a core dynamo on the angrite parent body (APB). This indicates that the initiation of the APB dynamo was delayed until sometime between 4 and 11 My after the formation of calcium aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) at 4567.30 ± 0.16 Ma. This late timing is consistent with recent planetesimal thermal evolution models invoking shallow magma oceans [Neumann et al. 2014], which predict that planetesimal dynamos would not initiate until the core began to crystallize. It is also consistent with thermal evolution models invoking large-scale magma oceans that considered thermal blanketing of the core by 26Al decay in the mantle [Roberts et al. 2013, Sterenborg and Crowley 2013], which would delay thermal convection dynamos until several My after accretion (occurred <0.25 My after CAIs for the APB [Schiller et al. 2015]) and differentiation. Because the presence of even a small amount of 60Fe in the core could effectively remove the thermal blanketing effect of mantle 26Al, we can use the delay in timing of the dynamo to constrain the abundance of 60Fe on the APB. Our planetesimal thermal evolution models show that if the initial solar nebula 60Fe/56Fe ratio was greater than 5×10-9, the APB core dynamo would have to start earlier than 4 My after CAIs, in contradiction to the paleomagnetic constraints

  20. Energetic particle transport and alpha driven instabilities in advanced confinement DT plasmas on TFTR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stratton, B. C.; Budny, R. V.; Darrow, D. S.; Fisher, R. K.; Fredrickson, E. D.; Fu, G. Y.; Medley, S. S.; Nazikian, R.; Petrov, M. P.; Redi, M. H.; Ruskov, E.; Taylor, G.; White, R. B.; Zweben, S. J.; TFTR Group

    1999-09-01

    The article reviews the physics of fusion alpha particles and energetic neutral beam ions studied in the final phase of TFTR operation, with an emphasis on observations in reversed magnetic shear (RS) and enhanced reversed shear (ERS) DT plasmas. Energy resolved measurements of the radial profiles of confined, trapped alphas in RS plasmas exhibit reduced core alpha density with increasing alpha energy, in contrast to plasmas with normal monotonic shear. The measured profiles are consistent with predictions of increased alpha loss due to stochastic ripple diffusion and increased first orbit loss in RS plasmas. In experiments in which a short tritium beam pulse is injected into a deuterium RS plasma, the measured DT neutron emission is lower than standard predictions assuming first orbit loss and stochastic ripple diffusion of the beam ions. A microwave reflectometer measured the spatial localization of low toroidal mode number (n), alpha driven toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs) in DT RS discharges. Although the observed ballooning character of the n = 4 mode is consistent with predictions of a kinetic MHD stability code, the observed antiballooning nature of the n = 2 mode is not. Furthermore, the modelling does not show the observed strong dependence of mode frequency on n. These alpha driven TAEs do not cause measurable alpha loss in TFTR. Other Alfvén frequency modes with n = 2-4 seen in both DT and DD ERS and RS discharges are localized to the weak magnetic shear region near qmin. In 10-20% of DT discharges, normal low n MHD activity causes alpha loss at levels above the first orbit loss rate.

  1. 77 FR 58124 - Dynamo Power LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-19

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER12-2614-000] Dynamo Power LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding, of Dynamo Power...

  2. 77 FR 64978 - Dynamo Power LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-24

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER13-45-000] Dynamo Power LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding of Dynamo Power LLC...

  3. Modeling of the coupled magnetospheric and neutral wind dynamos

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thayer, Jeff P.

    1993-01-01

    The solar wind interaction with the earth's magnetosphere generates electric fields and currents that flow from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere at high latitudes. Consequently, the neutral atmosphere is subject to the dissipation and conversion of this electrical energy to thermal and mechanical energy through Joule heating and Lorentz forcing. As a result of the mechanical energy stored within the neutral wind (caused in part by Lorentz--and pressure gradient--forces set up by the magnetospheric flux of electrical energy), electric currents and fields can be generated in the ionosphere through the neutral wind dynamo mechanism. At high latitudes this source of electrical energy has been largely ignored in past studies, owing to the assumed dominance of the solar wind/magnetospheric dynamo as an electrical energy source to the ionosphere. However, other researchers have demonstrated that the available electrical energy provided by the neutral wind is significant at high latitudes, particularly in the midnight sector of the polar cap and in the region of the magnetospheric convection reversal. As a result, the conclusions of a number of broad ranging high-latitude investigations may be modified if the neutral-wind contribution to high-latitude electrodynamics is properly accounted for. These include the following: studies assessing solar wind-magnetospheric coupling by comparing the cross polar cap potential with solar wind parameters; research based on the alignment of particle precipitation with convection or field aligned current boundaries; and synoptic investigations attributing seasonal variations in the observed electric field and current patterns to external sources. These research topics have been initiated by satellite and ground-based observations and have been attributed to magnetospheric causes. However, the contribution of the neutral wind to the high-latitude electric field and current systems and their seasonal and local time dependence has yet

  4. Dynamo Effects in Magnetized Ideal Plasma Cosmologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kleidis, Kostas; Kuiroukidis, Apostolos; Papadopoulos, Demetrios; Vlahos, Loukas

    The excitation of cosmological perturbations in an anisotropic cosmological model and in the presence of a homogeneous magnetic field has been studied, using the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations. In this case, the system of partial differential equations which governs the evolution of the magnetized cosmological perturbations can be solved analytically. Our results verify that fast-magnetosonic modes propagating normal to the magnetic field, are excited. But, what is most important, is that, at late times, the magnetic-induction contrast (δB/B) grows, resulting in the enhancement of the ambient magnetic field. This process can be particularly favored by condensations, formed within the plasma fluid due to gravitational instabilities.

  5. CORLISS ENGINE WITH DYNAMO AND ROPE DRIVE. LOCATION UNIDENTIFIED. PHOTOCOPY ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    CORLISS ENGINE WITH DYNAMO AND ROPE DRIVE. LOCATION UNIDENTIFIED. PHOTOCOPY OF c. 1900 VIEW. From the collection of the Manchester Historic Association, Manchester, N. H. - Amoskeag Millyard, Canal Street, Manchester, Hillsborough County, NH

  6. The effect of sheared toroidal rotation on pressure driven magnetic islands in toroidal plasmas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hegna, C. C.

    2016-05-15

    The impact of sheared toroidal rotation on the evolution of pressure driven magnetic islands in tokamak plasmas is investigated using a resistive magnetohydrodynamics model augmented by a neoclassical Ohm's law. Particular attention is paid to the asymptotic matching data as the Mercier indices are altered in the presence of sheared flow. Analysis of the nonlinear island Grad-Shafranov equation shows that sheared flows tend to amplify the stabilizing pressure/curvature contribution to pressure driven islands in toroidal tokamaks relative to the island bootstrap current contribution. As such, sheared toroidal rotation tends to reduce saturated magnetic island widths.

  7. Geomagnetically conjugate observation of plasma bubbles and thermospheric neutral winds at low latitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukushima, D.; Shiokawa, K.; Otsuka, Y.; Nishioka, M.; Kubota, M.; Tsugawa, T.; Nagatsuma, T.; Komonjinda, S.; Yatini, C. Y.

    2015-03-01

    This is the first paper that reports simultaneous observations of zonal drift of plasma bubbles and the thermospheric neutral winds at geomagnetically conjugate points in both hemispheres. The plasma bubbles were observed in the 630 nm nighttime airglow images taken by using highly sensitive all-sky airglow imagers at Kototabang, Indonesia (geomagnetic latitude (MLAT): 10.0°S), and Chiang Mai, Thailand (MLAT: 8.9°N), which are nearly geomagnetically conjugate stations, for 7 h from 13 to 20 UT (from 20 to 03 LT) on 5 April 2011. The bubbles continuously propagated eastward with velocities of 100-125 m/s. The 630 nm images at Chiang Mai and those mapped to the conjugate point of Kototabang fit very well, which indicates that the observed plasma bubbles were geomagnetically connected. The eastward thermospheric neutral winds measured by two Fabry-Perot interferometers were 70-130 m/s at Kototabang and 50-90 m/s at Chiang Mai. We compared the observed plasma bubble drift velocity with the velocity calculated from the observed neutral winds and the model conductivity, to investigate the F region dynamo contribution to the bubble drift velocity. The estimated drift velocities were 60-90% of the observed velocities of the plasma bubbles, suggesting that most of the plasma bubble velocity can be explained by the F region dynamo effect.

  8. Impact of DYNAMO observations on NASA GEOS-5 reanalyses and the representation of MJO initiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Achuthavarier, D.; Wang, H.; Schubert, S. D.; Sienkiewicz, M.

    2017-01-01

    This study examines the impact of the Dynamics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) campaign in situ observations on NASA Goddard Earth Observing System version 5 (GEOS-5) reanalyses and the improvements gained thereby in the representation of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) initiation processes. To this end, we produced a global, high-resolution (1/4° spatially) reanalysis that assimilates the level-4, quality-controlled DYNAMO upper air soundings from about 87 stations in the equatorial Indian Ocean region along with a companion data-denied control reanalysis. The DYNAMO reanalysis produces a more realistic vertical structure of the temperature and moisture in the central tropical Indian Ocean by correcting the model biases, namely, the cold and dry biases in the lower troposphere and warm bias in the upper troposphere. The reanalysis horizontal winds are substantially improved, in that, the westerly acceleration and vertical shear of the zonal wind are enhanced. The DYNAMO reanalysis shows enhanced low-level diabatic heating, moisture anomalies and vertical velocity during the MJO initiation. Due to the warmer lower troposphere, the deep convection is invigorated, which is evident in convective cloud fraction. The GEOS-5 atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) employed in the reanalysis is overall successful in assimilating the additional DYNAMO observations, except for an erroneous model response for medium rain rates, between 700 and 600 hPa, reminiscent of a bias in earlier versions of the AGCM. The moist heating profile shows a sharp decrease there due to the excessive convective rain re-evaporation, which is partly offset by the temperature increment produced by the analysis.

  9. BABCOCK–LEIGHTON SOLAR DYNAMO: THE ROLE OF DOWNWARD PUMPING AND THE EQUATORWARD PROPAGATION OF ACTIVITY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Karak, Bidya Binay; Cameron, Robert, E-mail: bkarak@ucar.edu

    The key elements of the Babcock–Leighton dynamos are the generation of poloidal field through decay and the dispersal of tilted bipolar active regions and the generation of toroidal field through the observed differential rotation. These models are traditionally known as flux transport dynamo models as the equatorward propagations of the butterfly wings in these models are produced due to an equatorward flow at the bottom of the convection zone. Here we investigate the role of downward magnetic pumping near the surface using a kinematic Babcock–Leighton model. We find that the pumping causes the poloidal field to become predominately radial inmore » the near-surface shear layer, which allows the negative radial shear to effectively act on the radial field to produce a toroidal field. We observe a clear equatorward migration of the toroidal field at low latitudes as a consequence of the dynamo wave even when there is no meridional flow in the deep convection zone. Both the dynamo wave and the flux transport type solutions are thus able to reproduce some of the observed features of the solar cycle including the 11-year periodicity. The main difference between the two types of solutions is the strength of the Babcock–Leighton source required to produce the dynamo action. A second consequence of the magnetic pumping is that it suppresses the diffusion of fields through the surface, which helps to allow an 11-year cycle at (moderately) larger values of magnetic diffusivity than have previously been used.« less

  10. Mean-field model of the von Kármán sodium dynamo experiment using soft iron impellers.

    PubMed

    Nore, C; Léorat, J; Guermond, J-L; Giesecke, A

    2015-01-01

    It has been observed that dynamo action occurs in the von-Kármán-Sodium (VKS) experiment only when the rotating disks and the blades are made of soft iron. The purpose of this paper is to numerically investigate the role of soft iron in the VKS dynamo scenario. This is done by using a mean-field model based on an axisymmetric mean flow, a localized permeability distribution, and a localized α effect modeling the action of the small velocity scales between the blades. The action of the rotating blades is modeled by an axisymmetric effective permeability field. Key properties of the flow giving to the numerical magnetic field a geometric structure similar to that observed experimentally are identified. Depending on the permeability of the disks and the effective permeability of the blades, the dynamo that is obtained is either oscillatory or stationary. Our numerical results confirm the leading role played by the ferromagnetic impellers. A scenario for the VKS dynamo is proposed.

  11. 37. VIEW OF TWO STEEL DYNAMOS IN STARBOARD CORNER OF ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    37. VIEW OF TWO STEEL DYNAMOS IN STARBOARD CORNER OF ENGINE ROOM, SHOWING VESSEL'S ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION PANEL TO THE RIGHT - Steam Schooner WAPAMA, Kaiser Shipyard No. 3 (Shoal Point), Richmond, Contra Costa County, CA

  12. Effects of enhanced stratification on equatorward dynamo wave propagation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Käpylä, Petri J.; Mantere, Maarit J.; Cole, Elizabeth

    We present results from simulations of rotating magnetized turbulent convection in spherical wedge geometry representing parts of the latitudinal and longitudinal extents of a star. Here we consider a set of runs for which the density stratification is varied, keeping the Reynolds and Coriolis numbers at similar values. In the case of weak stratification, we find quasi-steady dynamo solutions for moderate rotation and oscillatory ones with poleward migration of activity belts for more rapid rotation. For stronger stratification, the growth rate tends to become smaller. Furthermore, a transition from quasi-steady to oscillatory dynamos is found as the Coriolis number ismore » increased, but now there is an equatorward migrating branch near the equator. The breakpoint where this happens corresponds to a rotation rate that is about three to seven times the solar value. The phase relation of the magnetic field is such that the toroidal field lags behind the radial field by about π/2, which can be explained by an oscillatory α{sup 2} dynamo caused by the sign change of the α-effect about the equator. We test the domain size dependence of our results for a rapidly rotating run with equatorward migration by varying the longitudinal extent of our wedge. The energy of the axisymmetric mean magnetic field decreases as the domain size increases and we find that an m = 1 mode is excited for a full 2π azimuthal extent, reminiscent of the field configurations deduced from observations of rapidly rotating late-type stars.« less

  13. Sleuthing the Dynamo: the Final Frontier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayres, Thomas

    1996-07-01

    Innovative technologies are opening new windows into the Sun;from its hidden interior to the far reaches of its turbulentouter envelope: rare-earth detectors for solar neutrinos; theGONG project for helioseismology; SOHO for high-resolutionXUV spectroscopy, and YOHKOH for coronal X-ray imaging. Atthe same time, a fleet of space observatories--ROSAT, EUVE,ASCA, and HST itself--are providing unprecedented views ofthe vacuum-UV and X-ray emissions of stars in our Galacticneighborhood. These seemingly unrelated developments are infact deeply connected. A central issue of solar-stellarphysics is the nature and origin of magnetic activity: thelink between the interior dynamics of a late-type star and theviolent state of its outermost coronal layers. As solarphysicists are unlocking the secrets of the hydromagneticDynamo deep inside the Sun, we and others have beendocumenting the early evolution of the Dynamo and itsassociated external gas-dynamic activity. In particular, wehave obtained HST/FOS spectra of ten young solar-type starsin three nearby open clusters--the Hyades, Pleiades, andAlpha Persei--ranging in age from 50 Myr to 600 Myr. We havesupplemented the HST spectroscopy with deep ROSAT pointings, and ground-based studies. Here, we will continue the HSTside of our project by obtaining FUV spectra of two AlphaPerseids from our original program (but not yet observed),and high-S/N follow-up measurements of the hyperactive PleiadH II 314.

  14. Saturation of the turbulent dynamo.

    PubMed

    Schober, J; Schleicher, D R G; Federrath, C; Bovino, S; Klessen, R S

    2015-08-01

    The origin of strong magnetic fields in the Universe can be explained by amplifying weak seed fields via turbulent motions on small spatial scales and subsequently transporting the magnetic energy to larger scales. This process is known as the turbulent dynamo and depends on the properties of turbulence, i.e., on the hydrodynamical Reynolds number and the compressibility of the gas, and on the magnetic diffusivity. While we know the growth rate of the magnetic energy in the linear regime, the saturation level, i.e., the ratio of magnetic energy to turbulent kinetic energy that can be reached, is not known from analytical calculations. In this paper we present a scale-dependent saturation model based on an effective turbulent resistivity which is determined by the turnover time scale of turbulent eddies and the magnetic energy density. The magnetic resistivity increases compared to the Spitzer value and the effective scale on which the magnetic energy spectrum is at its maximum moves to larger spatial scales. This process ends when the peak reaches a characteristic wave number k☆ which is determined by the critical magnetic Reynolds number. The saturation level of the dynamo also depends on the type of turbulence and differs for the limits of large and small magnetic Prandtl numbers Pm. With our model we find saturation levels between 43.8% and 1.3% for Pm≫1 and between 2.43% and 0.135% for Pm≪1, where the higher values refer to incompressible turbulence and the lower ones to highly compressible turbulence.

  15. Electrostatic waves driven by electron beam in lunar wake plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sreeraj, T.; Singh, S. V.; Lakhina, G. S.

    2018-05-01

    A linear analysis of electrostatic waves propagating parallel to the ambient field in a four component homogeneous, collisionless, magnetised plasma comprising fluid protons, fluid He++, electron beam, and suprathermal electrons following kappa distribution is presented. In the absence of electron beam streaming, numerical analysis of the dispersion relation shows six modes: two electron acoustic modes (modes 1 and 6), two fast ion acoustic modes (modes 2 and 5), and two slow ion acoustic modes (modes 3 and 4). The modes 1, 2 and 3 and modes 4, 5, and 6 have positive and negative phase speeds, respectively. With an increase in electron beam speed, the mode 6 gets affected the most and the phase speed turns positive from negative. The mode 6 thus starts to merge with modes 2 and 3 and generates the electron beam driven fast and slow ion acoustic waves unstable with a finite growth. The electron beam driven slow ion-acoustic waves occur at lower wavenumbers, whereas fast ion-acoustic waves occur at a large value of wavenumbers. The effect of various other parameters has also been studied. We have applied this analysis to the electrostatic waves observed in lunar wake during the first flyby of the ARTEMIS mission. The analysis shows that the low (high) frequency waves observed in the lunar wake could be the electron beam driven slow (fast) ion-acoustic modes.

  16. Cyclic Evolution of Coronal Fields from a Coupled Dynamo Potential-Field Source-Surface Model.

    PubMed

    Dikpati, Mausumi; Suresh, Akshaya; Burkepile, Joan

    The structure of the Sun's corona varies with the solar-cycle phase, from a near spherical symmetry at solar maximum to an axial dipole at solar minimum. It is widely accepted that the large-scale coronal structure is governed by magnetic fields that are most likely generated by dynamo action in the solar interior. In order to understand the variation in coronal structure, we couple a potential-field source-surface model with a cyclic dynamo model. In this coupled model, the magnetic field inside the convection zone is governed by the dynamo equation; these dynamo-generated fields are extended from the photosphere to the corona using a potential-field source-surface model. Assuming axisymmetry, we take linear combinations of associated Legendre polynomials that match the more complex coronal structures. Choosing images of the global corona from the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory at each Carrington rotation over half a cycle (1986 - 1991), we compute the coefficients of the associated Legendre polynomials up to degree eight and compare with observations. We show that at minimum the dipole term dominates, but it fades as the cycle progresses; higher-order multipolar terms begin to dominate. The amplitudes of these terms are not exactly the same for the two limbs, indicating that there is a longitude dependence. While both the 1986 and the 1996 minimum coronas were dipolar, the minimum in 2008 was unusual, since there was a substantial departure from a dipole. We investigate the physical cause of this departure by including a North-South asymmetry in the surface source of the magnetic fields in our flux-transport dynamo model, and find that this asymmetry could be one of the reasons for departure from the dipole in the 2008 minimum.

  17. FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Asymmetric surface barrier discharge plasma driven by pulsed 13.56 MHz power in atmospheric pressure air

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dedrick, J.; Boswell, R. W.; Charles, C.

    2010-09-01

    Barrier discharges are a proven method of generating plasmas at high pressures, having applications in industrial processing, materials science and aerodynamics. In this paper, we present new measurements of an asymmetric surface barrier discharge plasma driven by pulsed radio frequency (rf 13.56 MHz) power in atmospheric pressure air. The voltage, current and optical emission of the discharge are measured temporally using 2.4 kVp-p (peak to peak) 13.56 MHz rf pulses, 20 µs in duration. The results exhibit different characteristics to plasma actuators, which have similar discharge geometry but are typically driven at frequencies of up to about 10 kHz. However, the electrical measurements are similar to some other atmospheric pressure, rf capacitively coupled discharge systems with symmetric electrode configurations and different feed gases.

  18. Dynamo room (compartment A21) with view of port side electrical ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    Dynamo room (compartment A-21) with view of port side electrical generator and ventilation ducting. (013) - USS Olympia, Penn's Landing, 211 South Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

  19. A Coupled 2 × 2D Babcock-Leighton Solar Dynamo Model. II. Reference Dynamo Solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lemerle, Alexandre; Charbonneau, Paul

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we complete the presentation of a new hybrid 2 × 2D flux transport dynamo (FTD) model of the solar cycle based on the Babcock-Leighton mechanism of poloidal magnetic field regeneration via the surface decay of bipolar magnetic regions (BMRs). This hybrid model is constructed by allowing the surface flux transport (SFT) simulation described in Lemerle et al. to provide the poloidal source term to an axisymmetric FTD simulation defined in a meridional plane, which in turn generates the BMRs required by the SFT. A key aspect of this coupling is the definition of an emergence function describing the probability of BMR emergence as a function of the spatial distribution of the internal axisymmetric magnetic field. We use a genetic algorithm to calibrate this function, together with other model parameters, against observed cycle 21 emergence data. We present a reference dynamo solution reproducing many solar cycle characteristics, including good hemispheric coupling, phase relationship between the surface dipole and the BMR-generating internal field, and correlation between dipole strength at cycle maximum and peak amplitude of the next cycle. The saturation of the cycle amplitude takes place through the quenching of the BMR tilt as a function of the internal field. The observed statistical scatter about the mean BMR tilt, built into the model, acts as a source of stochasticity which dominates amplitude fluctuations. The model thus can produce Dalton-like epochs of strongly suppressed cycle amplitude lasting a few cycles and can even shut off entirely following an unfavorable sequence of emergence events.

  20. Numerical Modeling and Testing of an Inductively-Driven and High-Energy Pulsed Plasma Thrusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parma, Brian

    2004-01-01

    Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPTs) are advanced electric space propulsion devices that are characterized by simplicity and robustness. They suffer, however, from low thrust efficiencies. This summer, two approaches to improve the thrust efficiency of PPTs will be investigated through both numerical modeling and experimental testing. The first approach, an inductively-driven PPT, uses a double-ignition circuit to fire two PPTs in succession. This effectively changes the PPTs configuration from an LRC circuit to an LR circuit. The LR circuit is expected to provide better impedance matching and improving the efficiency of the energy transfer to the plasma. An added benefit of the LR circuit is an exponential decay of the current, whereas a traditional PPT s under damped LRC circuit experiences the characteristic "ringing" of its current. The exponential decay may provide improved lifetime and sustained electromagnetic acceleration. The second approach, a high-energy PPT, is a traditional PPT with a variable size capacitor bank. This PPT will be simulated and tested at energy levels between 100 and 450 joules in order to investigate the relationship between efficiency and energy level. Arbitrary Coordinate Hydromagnetic (MACH2) code is used. The MACH2 code, designed by the Center for Plasma Theory and Computation at the Air Force Research Laboratory, has been used to gain insight into a variety of plasma problems, including electric plasma thrusters. The goals for this summer include numerical predictions of performance for both the inductively-driven PPT and high-energy PFT, experimental validation of the numerical models, and numerical optimization of the designs. These goals will be met through numerical and experimental investigation of the PPTs current waveforms, mass loss (or ablation), and impulse bit characteristics.

  1. The magnetic shear-current effect: Generation of large-scale magnetic fields by the small-scale dynamo

    DOE PAGES

    Squire, J.; Bhattacharjee, A.

    2016-03-14

    A novel large-scale dynamo mechanism, the magnetic shear-current effect, is discussed and explored. Here, the effect relies on the interaction of magnetic fluctuations with a mean shear flow, meaning the saturated state of the small-scale dynamo can drive a large-scale dynamo – in some sense the inverse of dynamo quenching. The dynamo is non-helical, with the mean fieldmore » $${\\it\\alpha}$$coefficient zero, and is caused by the interaction between an off-diagonal component of the turbulent resistivity and the stretching of the large-scale field by shear flow. Following up on previous numerical and analytic work, this paper presents further details of the numerical evidence for the effect, as well as an heuristic description of how magnetic fluctuations can interact with shear flow to produce the required electromotive force. The pressure response of the fluid is fundamental to this mechanism, which helps explain why the magnetic effect is stronger than its kinematic cousin, and the basic idea is related to the well-known lack of turbulent resistivity quenching by magnetic fluctuations. As well as being interesting for its applications to general high Reynolds number astrophysical turbulence, where strong small-scale magnetic fluctuations are expected to be prevalent, the magnetic shear-current effect is a likely candidate for large-scale dynamo in the unstratified regions of ionized accretion disks. Evidence for this is discussed, as well as future research directions and the challenges involved with understanding details of the effect in astrophysically relevant regimes.« less

  2. Controllable robust laser driven ion acceleration from near-critical density relativistic self-transparent plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Bin; Meyer-Ter-Vehn, Juergen; Ruhl, Hartmut

    2017-10-01

    We introduce an alternative approach for laser driven self-injected high quality ion acceleration. We call it ion wave breaking acceleration. It operates in relativistic self-transparent plasma for ultra-intense ultra-short laser pulses. Laser propagating in a transparent plasma excites an electron wave as well as an ion wave. When the ion wave breaks, a fraction of ions is self-injected into the positive part of the laser driven wake. This leads to a superior ion pulse with peaked energy spectra; in particular in realistic three-dimensional geometry, the injection occurs localized close to the laser axis producing highly directed bunches. A theory is developed to investigate the ion wave breaking dynamics. Three dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations with pure-gaussian laser pulses and pre-expanded near-critical density plasma targets have been done to verify the theoretical results. It is shown that hundreds of MeV, easily controllable and manipulable, micron-scale size, highly collimated and quasi-mono-energetic ion beams can be produced by using ultra-intense ultra-short laser pulses with total laser energies less than 10 Joules. Such ion beams may find important applications in tumour therapy. B. Liu acknowledges support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. B. Liu and H. Ruhl acknowledge supports from the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing (GCS), and the Cluster-of-Excellence Munich Centre for Advanced Photonics (MAP).

  3. 3D-MHD Simulations of the Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bayliss, R. A.; Forest, C. B.; Wright, J. C.; O'Connell, R.

    2003-10-01

    Growth, saturation and turbulent evolution of the Madison dynamo experiment is investigated numerically using a 3-D pseudo-spectral simulation of the MHD equations; results of the simulations are used to predict behavior of the experiment. The code solves the self-consistent full evolution of the magnetic and velocity fields. The code uses a spectral representation via spherical harmonic basis functions of the vector fields in longitude and latitude, and fourth order finite differences in the radial direction. The magnetic field evolution has been benchmarked against the laminar kinematic dynamo predicted by M.L. Dudley and R.W. James [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 425. 407-429 (1989)]. Initial results indicate that saturation of the magnetic field occurs so that the resulting perturbed backreaction of the induced magnetic field changes the velocity field such that it would no longer be linearly unstable, suggesting non-linear terms are necessary for explaining the resulting state. Saturation and self-excitation depend in detail upon the magnetic Prandtl number.

  4. Multiple periodicities in the solar magnetic field - Possible origin in a multiple-mode solar dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Boyer, D. W.; Levy, E. H.

    1992-01-01

    The solar magnetic field is generated in an oscillatory mode with a 22 yr full period and gives rise to the 11 yr sunspot cycle. However, analyses of contemporary solar records, as well as other surrogate indicators of solar activity, suggest the presence also of longer term periodicities in the solar magnetic cycle. This paper suggests that the solar dynamo can operate in a multiply periodic state, with several periodicites being generated simultaneously at different depths in the convection zone. A simple two-layer model of the solar convection zone is used to illustrate the physical mechanism of spatially localized, multiple-periodicity-mode dynamo regeneration. The two layers are characterized by differences in their respective turbulent magnetic diffusivities. Although the magnetic modes interact with one another, each mode is produced large in one layer or the other, and has an oscillation period approximately equal to the time characteristic of magnetic diffusion across the layer. The observed complicated periodicity pattern in the solar magnetic field could be a combination of two (or more) dynamo modes generated in this manner. The calculations are carried out using a differential rotation model consistent with recent helioseismological measurements, illustrating the challenge to dynamo theory raised by those observational results.

  5. Estimating turbulent electrovortex flow parameters hear the dynamo cycle bifurcation point

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zimin, V.D.; Kolpakov, N.Yu.; Khripchenko, S.Yu.

    1988-07-01

    Models for estimating turbulent electrovortex flow parameters, derived in earlier studies, were delineated and extended in this paper to express those parameters near the dynamo cycle bifurcation point in a spherical cavity. Toroidal and poloidal fields rising from the induction currents within the liquid metal and their electrovortex interactions were calculated. Toroidal field strengthening by the poloidal electrovortex flow, the first part of the dynamo loop, was determined by the viscous dissipation in the liquid metal. The second part of the loop, in which the toroidal field localized in the liquid metal is converted to a poloidal field and emergesmore » from the sphere, was also established. The dissipative effects near the critical magnetic Reynolds number were estimated.« less

  6. Effect of soft-iron impellers on the von Kármán-sodium dynamo.

    PubMed

    Xu, Mingtian

    2014-01-01

    The explanation for the observed axisymmetric magnetic field in the von Kármán-sodium (VKS) dynamo experiment is still an unresolved question. In this paper, the integral equation approach is extended to investigate the VKS dynamo action by taking into account the discontinuity of the magnetic permeability and electrical conductivity in the conducting region. When the relative magnetic permeability of the soft-iron impellers is set to 65, a steady toroidal field that is apparently axisymmetric is excited at the critical magnetic Reynolds number, Rmc≈27.23, which is close to the experimental result, Rmc≈30. Our results show that the critical magnetic Reynolds number declines as the relative magnetic permeability of the impellers increases. Furthermore, when the relative magnetic permeability is not greater than 37, an equatorial magnetic field with an azimuthal wave number m=1 is the dominant mode, otherwise a steady toroidal field with an azimuthal wave number m=0 predominates the magnetic field generated by the VKS dynamo action.

  7. Magnetic and velocity fields in a dynamo operating at extremely small Ekman and magnetic Prandtl numbers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Šimkanin, Ján; Kyselica, Juraj

    2017-12-01

    Numerical simulations of the geodynamo are becoming more realistic because of advances in computer technology. Here, the geodynamo model is investigated numerically at the extremely low Ekman and magnetic Prandtl numbers using the PARODY dynamo code. These parameters are more realistic than those used in previous numerical studies of the geodynamo. Our model is based on the Boussinesq approximation and the temperature gradient between upper and lower boundaries is a source of convection. This study attempts to answer the question how realistic the geodynamo models are. Numerical results show that our dynamo belongs to the strong-field dynamos. The generated magnetic field is dipolar and large-scale while convection is small-scale and sheet-like flows (plumes) are preferred to a columnar convection. Scales of magnetic and velocity fields are separated, which enables hydromagnetic dynamos to maintain the magnetic field at the low magnetic Prandtl numbers. The inner core rotation rate is lower than that in previous geodynamo models. On the other hand, dimensional magnitudes of velocity and magnetic fields and those of the magnetic and viscous dissipation are larger than those expected in the Earth's core due to our parameter range chosen.

  8. DC-driven plasma gun: self-oscillatory operation mode of atmospheric-pressure helium plasma jet comprised of repetitive streamer breakdowns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Xingxing; Shashurin, Alexey

    2017-02-01

    This paper presents and studies helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet comprised of a series of repetitive streamer breakdowns, which is driven by pure DC high voltage (self-oscillatory behavior). The repetition frequency of the breakdowns is governed by the geometry of discharge electrodes/surroundings and gas flow rate. Each next streamer is initiated when the electric field on the anode tip recovers after the previous breakdown and reaches the breakdown threshold value of about 2.5 kV cm-1. One type of the helium plasma gun designed using this operational principle is demonstrated. The gun operates on about 3 kV DC high voltage and is comprised of the series of the repetitive streamer breakdowns at a frequency of about 13 kHz.

  9. The spectrum of random magnetic fields in the mean field dynamo theory of the Galactic magnetic field

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kulsrud, Russell M.; Anderson, Stephen W.

    1992-01-01

    The fluctuation spectrum that must arise in a mean field dynamo generation of galactic fields if the initial field is weak is considered. A kinetic equation for its evolution is derived and solved. The spectrum evolves by transfer of energy from one magnetic mode to another by interaction with turbulent velocity modes. This kinetic equation is valid in the limit that the rate of evolution of the magnetic modes is slower than the reciprocal decorrelation time of the turbulent modes. This turns out to be the case by a factor greater than 3. Most of the fluctuation energy concentrates on small scales, shorter than the hydrodynamic turbulent scales. The fluctuation energy builds up to equipartition with the turbulent energy in times that are short compared to the e-folding time of the mean field. The turbulence becomes strongly modified before the dynamo amplification starts. Thus, the kinematic assumption of the mean dynamo theory is invalid. Thus, the galactic field must have a primordial origin, although it may subsequently be modified by dynamo action.

  10. A NEW SIMPLE DYNAMO MODEL FOR STELLAR ACTIVITY CYCLE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yokoi, N.; Hamba, F.; Schmitt, D.

    2016-06-20

    A new simple dynamo model for stellar activity cycle is proposed. By considering an inhomogeneous flow effect on turbulence, it is shown that turbulent cross helicity (velocity–magnetic-field correlation) enters the expression of turbulent electromotive force as the coupling coefficient for the mean absolute vorticity. This makes the present model different from the current α –Ω-type models in two main ways. First, in addition to the usual helicity ( α ) and turbulent magnetic diffusivity ( β ) effects, we consider the cross-helicity effect as a key ingredient of the dynamo process. Second, the spatiotemporal evolution of cross helicity is solvedmore » simultaneously with the mean magnetic fields. The basic scenario is as follows. In the presence of turbulent cross helicity, the toroidal field is induced by the toroidal rotation. Then, as in usual models, the α effect generates the poloidal field from the toroidal one. This induced poloidal field produces a turbulent cross helicity whose sign is opposite to the original one (negative production). With this cross helicity of the reversed sign, a reversal in field configuration starts. Eigenvalue analyses of the simplest possible model give a butterfly diagram, which confirms the above scenario and the equatorward migrations, the phase relationship between the cross helicity and magnetic fields. These results suggest that the oscillation of the turbulent cross helicity is a key for the activity cycle. The reversal of the cross helicity is not the result of the magnetic-field reversal, but the cause of the latter. This new model is expected to open up the possibility of the mean-field or turbulence closure dynamo approaches.« less

  11. Effects of Auroral Potential Drops on Field-Aligned Currents and Nightside Reconnection Dynamos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lotko, W.; Xi, S.; Zhang, B.; Wiltberger, M. J.; Lyon, J.

    2016-12-01

    The reaction of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system to dynamic auroral potential drops is investigated using the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry global model and, for the first time in a global simulation, including the dissipative load of field-aligned potential drops in the low-altitude boundary condition. This extra load reduces the demand for field-aligned current (j||) from nightside reconnection dynamos. The system adapts by forcing the nightside x-line closer to Earth to reduce current lensing (j||/B = constant) at the ionosphere, with the plasma sheet undergoing additional contraction during substorm recovery and steady magnetospheric convection. For steady and moderate solar wind driving and with constant ionospheric conductance, the cross-polar cap potential and hemispheric field-aligned current are lower by approximately the ratio of the peak field-aligned potential drop to the cross polar cap potential (10-15%) when potential drops are included. Hemispheric ionospheric Joule dissipation is less by 8%, while the area-integrated, average work done on the fluid by the reconnecting magnetotail field increases by 50% within |y| < 8 RE. Effects on the nightside plasma sheet include: (1) an average x-line 4 RE closer to Earth; (2) a 12% higher mean reconnection rate; and (3) dawn-dusk asymmetry in reconnection with a 17% higher rate in the premidnight sector.

  12. Mirror symmetry of ions and electron temperature variations within the dusty dynamo layer of the auroral ionosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Timofeev, Evgeny; Kangas, Jorma; Vallinkoski, Matti

    Quasi-periodic (consisting of a dozen electro-thermal structures, ETS) variations of ionospheric parameters during April, 10 and March, 23 1988 substorms were investigated using the data of EISCAT radars in Tromso. These variations were measured at the lower edge of dynamo-layer 106 km and include the ion and electron temperature, electron density and ionospheric electric field; all data were smoothed out using moving average with optimal lag window. It was shown that: 1) ETS clusters are observed when value of the electric field is < 10 mV/m and average electron density is about (5-10)*10 (4) /sm (3) , 2) For each ETS the envelop demonstrate the so called mirror symmetry, that is antiphased variations of the ion and electron temperature (when Ti increases and Te decreases), 3) The symmetry breaks when the electric field is larger than FB instability threshold (15-20 mVm), 4) The periods of these variations is in the range of 3-10 min, 5) The self-similarity of the scales is observed: smaller scales are included into the larger scales, 6) Temperature variations were accompanied by the electric field variations with amplitude of 4-7 mV/m, 7) Large scale structures (and sometimes dyads formed by two subsequent structures) were accompanied by the electric field rotation up to the whole circle. Specific ETS and plasma parameters variations can be interpreted as a result of Ekman-type instability in the dusty plasma of the dynamo layer. The mirror symmetry of plasma temperature variations is an evidence of a partial blocking of energy transfer between the ions and electrons at low values of the external electric field (below FB instability threshold) because the main energy in such a kind of plasma is attributed to dusty macro-particles (Fortov et al., 2010). Under these conditions the time scale of the dust particle energy variations are considerably larger than the corresponding scales of the temperature variations. According to our previous results (Timofeev et al

  13. Non-Inductively Driven Tokamak Plasmas at Near-Unity Toroidal Beta in the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reusch, Joshua

    2017-10-01

    A major goal of the spherical tokamak research program is accessing a state of low internal inductance li, high elongation κ, high toroidal and normalized beta (βt and βN) , and low collisionality without solenoidal current drive. A new local helicity injection (LHI) system in the lower divertor region of the ultra-low aspect ratio Pegasus ST provides non-solenoidally driven plasmas that exhibit most of these characteristics. LHI utilizes compact, edge-localized current sources (Ainj 4 cm2, Iinj 8 kA, Vinj 1.5 kV) for plasma startup and sustainment, and can sustain more than 200 kA of plasma current. Plasma growth via LHI is enhanced by a transition from a regime of high kink-like MHD activity to one of reduced MHD activity at higher frequencies and presumably shorter wavelengths. The strong edge current drive provided by LHI results in a hollow current density profile with low li. The low aspect ratio (R0 / a 1.2) of Pegasus allows ready access to high κ and MHD stable operation at very high normalized plasma currents (IN =Ip /aBT> 15). Thomson scattering measurements indicate Te 100 eV and ne 1 ×19 m-3. The impurity Ti evolution is correlated in time with high frequency magnetic fluctuations, implying substantial reconnection ion heating is driven by the applied helicity injection. Doppler spectroscopy indicates Ti >=Te and that the anomalous ion heating scales consistently with two fluid reconnection theory. Taken together, these features provide access to very high βt plasmas. Equilibrium analyses indicate βt up to 100% and βN 6.5 is achieved. At increasingly low BT, the discharge disrupts at the no-wall ideal stability limit. In these high βt discharges, a minimum |B| well forms over 50% of the plasma volume. This unique magnetic configuration may be of interest for testing predictions of stabilizing drift wave turbulence and/or improving energetic particle confinement. This work supported by US DOE Grants DE-FG02-96ER54375 and DE-SC0006928.

  14. Modeling of the control of the driven current profile in ICRF MCCD on EAST plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, L.; Yang, C.; Gong, X. Y.; Lu, X. Q.; Cao, J. J.; Wu, Z. Y.; Chen, Y.; Du, D.

    2018-05-01

    Control of the current profile is a crucial issue for improved confinement and the inhibition of instability in advanced tokamak operation. Using typical discharge data for the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, numerical simulations of driven-current profile control in mode conversion current drive (MCCD) in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies were performed employing a full-wave method and Ehst-Karney efficiency formula. Results indicate that the driven current profile in MCCD can be effectively modified by shifting the mode conversion layer. The peak of the driven current can be located at an aimed position in the normalized minor radius range (-0.60 ≤r/a≤0) by changing the radiofrequency and the minority-ion concentration. The efficiency of the off-axis MCCD can reach 233 kA/MW through optimization, and the mode converted ion cyclotron wave plays an important role in such scenarios. The effects of electron temperature and plasma density on the driven current profile are also investigated.

  15. REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: The hydromagnetic dynamo as the source of planetary, solar, and galactic magnetism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeldovich, Ya B.; Ruzmaĭkin, A. A.

    1987-06-01

    The magnetism of most celestial bodies, i.e., planets, stars, and galaxies, is of hydromagnetic origin. The turbulent hydromagnetic dynamo is the principal mechanism whereby the magnetic field is amplified and maintained, and the theory of this phenomenon has advanced significantly in recent years. This review discusses applications of the theory of the turbulent dynamo to real objects, taking the Sun, the Earth, and the Galaxy as examples. Most of the discussion is concentrated on the large-scale magnetic field averaged over turbulent fluctuations. The average field is amplified and maintained by the average helicity of turbulent motion and large-scale shear flows such as differential rotation. The dynamo theory explains striking phenomena such as geomagnetic field reversal, the solar cycle, and the ring and bisymmetric structure of spiral galaxies.

  16. Data acquisition in a high-speed rotating frame for New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology liquid sodium αω dynamo experiment.

    PubMed

    Si, Jiahe; Colgate, Stirling A; Li, Hui; Martinic, Joe; Westpfahl, David

    2013-10-01

    New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology liquid sodium αω-dynamo experiment models the magnetic field generation in the universe as discussed in detail by Colgate, Li, and Pariev [Phys. Plasmas 8, 2425 (2001)]. To obtain a quasi-laminar flow with magnetic Reynolds number R(m) ~ 120, the dynamo experiment consists of two co-axial cylinders of 30.5 cm and 61 cm in diameter spinning up to 70 Hz and 17.5 Hz, respectively. During the experiment, the temperature of the cylinders must be maintained to 110 °C to ensure that the sodium remains fluid. This presents a challenge to implement a data acquisition (DAQ) system in such high temperature, high-speed rotating frame, in which the sensors (including 18 Hall sensors, 5 pressure sensors, and 5 temperature sensors, etc.) are under the centrifugal acceleration up to 376g. In addition, the data must be transmitted and stored in a computer 100 ft away for safety. The analog signals are digitized, converted to serial signals by an analog-to-digital converter and a field-programmable gate array. Power is provided through brush/ring sets. The serial signals are sent through ring/shoe sets capacitively, then reshaped with cross-talk noises removed. A microcontroller-based interface circuit is used to decode the serial signals and communicate with the data acquisition computer. The DAQ accommodates pressure up to 1000 psi, temperature up to more than 130 °C, and magnetic field up to 1000 G. First physics results have been analyzed and published. The next stage of the αω-dynamo experiment includes the DAQ system upgrade.

  17. Optimum reduction of the dynamo threshold by a ferromagnetic layer located in the flow.

    PubMed

    Herault, J; Pétrélis, F

    2014-09-01

    We consider a fluid dynamo model generated by the flow on both sides of a moving layer. The magnetic permeability of the layer is larger than that of the flow. We show that there exists an optimum value of magnetic permeability for which the critical magnetic Reynolds number for dynamo onset is smaller than for a nonmagnetic material and also smaller than for a layer of infinite magnetic permeability. We present a mechanism that provides an explanation for recent experimental results. A similar effect occurs when the electrical conductivity of the layer is large.

  18. Density-Gradient-Driven trapped-electron-modes in improved-confinement RFP plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duff, James

    2016-10-01

    Short wavelength density fluctuations in improved-confinement MST plasmas exhibit multiple features characteristic of the trapped-electron-mode (TEM), strong evidence that drift wave turbulence emerges in RFP plasmas when transport associated with MHD tearing is reduced. Core transport in the RFP is normally governed by magnetic stochasticity stemming from long wavelength tearing modes that arise from current profile peaking. Using inductive control, the tearing modes are reduced and global confinement is increased to values expected for a comparable tokamak plasma. The improved confinement is associated with a large increase in the pressure gradient that can destabilize drift waves. The measured density fluctuations have frequencies >50 kHz, wavenumbers k_phi*rho_s<0.14, and propagate in the electron drift direction. Their spectral emergence coincides with a sharp decrease in fluctuations associated with global tearing modes. Their amplitude increases with the local density gradient, and they exhibit a density-gradient threshold at R/L_n 15, higher than in tokamak plasmas by R/a. the GENE code, modified for RFP equilibria, predicts the onset of microinstability for these strong-gradient plasma conditions. The density-gradient-driven TEM is the dominant instability in the region where the measured density fluctuations are largest, and the experimental threshold-gradient is close to the predicted critical gradient for linear stability. While nonlinear analysis shows a large Dimits shift associated with predicted strong zonal flows, the inclusion of residual magnetic fluctuations causes a collapse of the zonal flows and an increase in the predicted transport to a level close to the experimentally measured heat flux. Similar circumstances could occur in the edge region of tokamak plasmas when resonant magnetic perturbations are applied for the control of ELMs. Work supported by US DOE.

  19. Spheromak plasma flow injection into a torus chamber and the HIST plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hatuzaki, Akinori

    2005-10-01

    The importance of plasma flow or two-fluid effect is recognized in understanding the relaxed states of high-beta torus plasmas, start-up and current drive by non-coaxial helicity injection, magnetic reconnection and plasma dynamo in fusion, laboratory and space plasmas. As a new approach to create a flowing two-fluid plasma equilibrium, we have tried to inject tangentially the plasma flow with spheromak-type magnetic configurations into a torus vacuum chamber with an external toroidal magnetic field (TF) coil. In the initial experiments, the RFP-like configuration with helical magnetic structures was realized in the torus vessel. The ion flow measurement with Mach probes showed that the ion flow keeps the same direction despite the reversal of the toroidal current and the axial electric field. The ion fluid comes to flow in the opposite direction to the electron fluid by the reversal of TF. This result suggests that not only electron but also ion flow contributes significantly on the reversed toroidal current. In this case, the ratio of ui to the electron flow velocity ue is estimated as ui/ue ˜ 1/2. We also will inject the spheromak flow into the HIST spherical torus plasmas to examine the possibilities to embedding the two-fluid effect in the ST plasmas.

  20. An update of Leighton's solar dynamo model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cameron, R. H.; Schüssler, M.

    2017-03-01

    In 1969, Leighton developed a quasi-1D mathematical model of the solar dynamo, building upon the phenomenological scenario of Babcock published in 1961. Here we present a modification and extension of Leighton's model. Using the axisymmetric component (longitudinal average) of the magnetic field, we consider the radial field component at the solar surface and the radially integrated toroidal magnetic flux in the convection zone, both as functions of latitude. No assumptions are made with regard to the radial location of the toroidal flux. The model includes the effects of (I) turbulent diffusion at the surface and in the convection zone; (II) poleward meridional flow at the surface and an equatorward return flow affecting the toroidal flux; (III) latitudinal differential rotation and the near-surface layer of radial rotational shear; (iv) downward convective pumping of magnetic flux in the shear layer; and (v) flux emergence in the form of tilted bipolar magnetic regions treated as a source term for the radial surface field. While the parameters relevant for the transport of the surface field are taken from observations, the model condenses the unknown properties of magnetic field and flow in the convection zone into a few free parameters (turbulent diffusivity, effective return flow, amplitude of the source term, and a parameter describing the effective radial shear). Comparison with the results of 2D flux transport dynamo codes shows that the model captures the essential features of these simulations. We make use of the computational efficiency of the model to carry out an extended parameter study. We cover an extended domain of the 4D parameter space and identify the parameter ranges that provide solar-like solutions. Dipole parity is always preferred and solutions with periods around 22 yr and a correct phase difference between flux emergence in low latitudes and the strength of the polar fields are found for a return flow speed around 2 m s-1, turbulent

  1. Cosmological magnetic fields as string dynamo seeds and axion fields in torsioned spacetime

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    De Andrade, L.C. Garcia, E-mail: garcia@dft.if.uerj.br

    2014-08-01

    In this paper two examples of the generation cosmological magnetic fields (CMF) are given. The first is the string dynamo seed cosmological magnetic field estimated as B{sub seed}∼10{sup -24} Gauss from a static spin polarised cylinder in Einstein-Cartan-Maxwell spacetime. The string dynamo seeds from a static spin polarised cylinder is given by B∼σ{sup 2}R{sup 2} where σ is the spin-torsion density while R is the string radius. The B-field value above is able to seed galactic dynamo. In the BBN the magnetic fields around 10{sup 12} Gauss give rise to a string radius as small as 10{sup 17}l{sub P} where l{sub P}more » is the Planck length. The second is the CMF from axionic torsion field which is given by B{sub seed}∼10{sup -27} Gauss which is stronger than the primordial magnetic field B{sub BICEP2}∼10{sup -30} Gauss from the BICEP2 recent experiment on primordial gravitational waves and cosmological inflation to axionic torsion. The interaction Lagrangean between axionic torsion scalar φ and magnetic fields used in this last example is given by f{sup 2}(φ)F{sub μν}F{sup μν}. A similar lagrangean has been used by K. Bamba et al. [JCAP 10 (2012) 058] so generate magnetic fields without dynamo action. Since axionic torsion can be associated with axionic domain walls both examples discussed here could be consider as topological defects examples of the generation of primordial magnetic fields in universes endowed with spacetime torsion.« less

  2. Maximizing Science Return: A Representative Trajectory for Dynamo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lyons, Daniel T.

    1999-01-01

    This presentation discusses a possible Dynamo Orbit for a future Mars global surveyor. The goal of the proposed orbit is to allow for the greatest amount of mapping of the Martian surface during the mission. The presentation discusses the dynamic pressure, periapsis altitude, the Apoapsis Altitude, the aerodynamic heating rate,and the change in velocity during the aerobraking phase of the orbit and the orbital insertion.

  3. 4. FIRST FLOOR INTERIOR, AMMONIA COMPRESSION DYNAMOS IN MACHINERY ROOM ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    4. FIRST FLOOR INTERIOR, AMMONIA COMPRESSION DYNAMOS IN MACHINERY ROOM ALONG SOUTH SIDE OF WESTERN PORTION OF BUILDING, FROM EASTERN ENTRANCE TO MACHINERY ROOM, LOOKING WEST. - Oakland Naval Supply Center, Cold Storage Warehouse, South of C Street between First & Second Street, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

  4. Increasing Helicity to Achieve a Dynamo State on the Three-Meter Model of the Earth's Core

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rojas, R.; Perevalov, A.; Lathrop, D. P.

    2017-12-01

    Dynamo theory describes the generation of magnetic fields in the flows of conducting fluids, for example, in stars and planetary cores. Spherical Couette flows, which are flows between two concentric and independently rotating spheres, is one of the experimental models for achieving this task in the laboratory. We have performed dynamo state search in our three-meter spherical-Couette model reaching up to Reynolds number near 108 with amplifications of the field between 10-30% but without a self-sustained dynamo magnetic field. A recent numerical work [K. Finke and A. Tilgner. Phys. Rev. E, 86:016310, Jul 2012] suggested that a roughened inner core reduces the threshold for dynamo action. The mean flow would have more poloidal component than the one we are generating with our current smooth sphere setup. With baffles flow would be expelled radially outward on the equatorial plane and returned at the poles, with opposite helicities in the two hemispheres. Baffles welded on our smooth inner sphere are proposed to achieve this task. We are working to perform experiments on a scaled water model of our experimental setup with Reynolds number near 105 to measure the helicity improvements of different baffle designs in support of upcoming Three-Meter modifications. We gratefully acknowledge support from NSF EAR-1417148.

  5. Hybrid simulations of weakly collisional plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, Qian; Reville, Brian; Tzoufras, Michail

    2016-10-01

    Laser produced plasma experiments can be exploited to investigate phenomena of astrophysical relevance. The high densities and velocities that can be generated in the laboratory provide ideal conditions to investigate weakly collisional or collisionless plasma shock physics. In addition, the high temperatures permit magnetic and kinetic Reynolds numbers that are difficult to achieve in other plasma experiments, opening the possibility to study plasma dynamo. Many of these experiments are based on a classic plasma physics problem, namely the interpenetration of two plasma flows. To investigate this phenomenon, we are constructing a novel multi-dimensional hybrid numerical scheme, that solves the ion distribution kinetically via a Vlasov-Fokker-Planck equation, with electrons providing a charge neutralizing fluid. This allows us to follow the evolution on hydrodynamic timescales, while permitting inclusion ofcollisionlesseffects on small scales. It also could be used to study the increasing collisional effects due to the stiff gradient and weakly anisotropic velocity distribution. We present some preliminary validation tests for the code, demonstrating its ability to accurately model key processes that are relevant to laboratory and astrophysical plasmas.

  6. Study of transport phenomena in laser-driven, non- equilibrium plasmas in the presence of external magnetic fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kemp, G. Elijah; Mariscal, D. A.; Williams, G. J.; Blue, B. E.; Colvin, J. D.; Fears, T. M.; Kerr, S. M.; May, M. J.; Moody, J. D.; Strozzi, D. J.; Lefevre, H. J.; Klein, S. R.; Kuranz, C. C.; Manuel, M. J.-E.; Gautier, D. C.; Montgomery, D. S.

    2017-10-01

    We present experimental and simulation results from a study of thermal transport inhibition in laser-driven, mid-Z, non-equilibrium plasmas in the presence external magnetic fields. The experiments were performed at the Jupiter Laser Facility at LLNL, where x-ray spectroscopy, proton radiography, and Brillouin backscatter data were simultaneously acquired from sub-critical-density, Ti-doped silica aerogel foams driven by a 2 ω laser at 5 ×1014 W /cm2 . External B-field strengths up to 20 T (aligned antiparallel to the laser propagation axis) were provided by a capacitor-bank-driven Helmholtz coil. Pre-shot simulations with Hydra, a radiation-magnetohydrodyanmics code, showed increasing electron plasma temperature with increasing B-field strength - the result of thermal transport inhibition perpendicular to the B-field. The influence of this thermal transport inhibition on the experimental observables as a function of external field strength and target density will be shown and compared with simulations. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344 and funded by LDRD project 17-ERD-027.

  7. Optimal Length Scale for a Turbulent Dynamo.

    PubMed

    Sadek, Mira; Alexakis, Alexandros; Fauve, Stephan

    2016-02-19

    We demonstrate that there is an optimal forcing length scale for low Prandtl number dynamo flows that can significantly reduce the required energy injection rate. The investigation is based on simulations of the induction equation in a periodic box of size 2πL. The flows considered are the laminar and turbulent ABC flows forced at different forcing wave numbers k_{f}, where the turbulent case is simulated using a subgrid turbulence model. At the smallest allowed forcing wave number k_{f}=k_{min}=1/L the laminar critical magnetic Reynolds number Rm_{c}^{lam} is more than an order of magnitude smaller than the turbulent critical magnetic Reynolds number Rm_{c}^{turb} due to the hindering effect of turbulent fluctuations. We show that this hindering effect is almost suppressed when the forcing wave number k_{f} is increased above an optimum wave number k_{f}L≃4 for which Rm_{c}^{turb} is minimum. At this optimal wave number, Rm_{c}^{turb} is smaller by more than a factor of 10 than the case forced in k_{f}=1. This leads to a reduction of the energy injection rate by 3 orders of magnitude when compared to the case where the system is forced at the largest scales and thus provides a new strategy for the design of a fully turbulent experimental dynamo.

  8. Investigation of the Air-Wave-Sea Interaction Modes Using an Airborne Doppler Wind Lidar: Analyses of the HRDL Data Taken using DYNAMO

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-07

    Interaction Modes Using an Airborne Doppler Wind Lidar: Analyses of the HRDL data taken using DYNAMO 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER N0001411C0464 5b. GRANT...efficiency of energy, mass and momentum exchange at the bottom and top of the ABL. 15. SUBJECT TERMS DYNAMO , ABL 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17...Investigation of the Air-Wave-Sea Interaction Modes Using an Airborne Doppler Wind Lidar: Analyses of the HRDL data taken during DYNAMO George

  9. Quasi-monoenergetic ion beam acceleration by laser-driven shock and solitary waves in near-critical plasmas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, W. L.; Qiao, B., E-mail: bqiao@pku.edu.cn; Huang, T. W.

    2016-07-15

    Ion acceleration in near-critical plasmas driven by intense laser pulses is investigated theoretically and numerically. A theoretical model has been given for clarification of the ion acceleration dynamics in relation to different laser and target parameters. Two distinct regimes have been identified, where ions are accelerated by, respectively, the laser-induced shock wave in the weakly driven regime (comparatively low laser intensity) and the nonlinear solitary wave in the strongly driven regime (comparatively high laser intensity). Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that quasi-monoenergetic proton beams with a peak energy of 94.6 MeV and an energy spread 15.8% are obtained by intense laser pulsesmore » at intensity I{sub 0} = 3 × 10{sup 20 }W/cm{sup 2} and pulse duration τ = 0.5 ps in the strongly driven regime, which is more advantageous than that got in the weakly driven regime. In addition, 233 MeV proton beams with narrow spread can be produced by extending τ to 1.0 ps in the strongly driven regime.« less

  10. Large-scale dynamo action precedes turbulence in shearing box simulations of the magnetorotational instability

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bhat, Pallavi; Ebrahimi, Fatima; Blackman, Eric G.

    Here, we study the dynamo generation (exponential growth) of large-scale (planar averaged) fields in unstratified shearing box simulations of the magnetorotational instability (MRI). In contrast to previous studies restricted to horizontal (x–y) averaging, we also demonstrate the presence of large-scale fields when vertical (y–z) averaging is employed instead. By computing space–time planar averaged fields and power spectra, we find large-scale dynamo action in the early MRI growth phase – a previously unidentified feature. Non-axisymmetric linear MRI modes with low horizontal wavenumbers and vertical wavenumbers near that of expected maximal growth, amplify the large-scale fields exponentially before turbulence and high wavenumbermore » fluctuations arise. Thus the large-scale dynamo requires only linear fluctuations but not non-linear turbulence (as defined by mode–mode coupling). Vertical averaging also allows for monitoring the evolution of the large-scale vertical field and we find that a feedback from horizontal low wavenumber MRI modes provides a clue as to why the large-scale vertical field sustains against turbulent diffusion in the non-linear saturation regime. We compute the terms in the mean field equations to identify the individual contributions to large-scale field growth for both types of averaging. The large-scale fields obtained from vertical averaging are found to compare well with global simulations and quasi-linear analytical analysis from a previous study by Ebrahimi & Blackman. We discuss the potential implications of these new results for understanding the large-scale MRI dynamo saturation and turbulence.« less

  11. Large-scale dynamo action precedes turbulence in shearing box simulations of the magnetorotational instability

    DOE PAGES

    Bhat, Pallavi; Ebrahimi, Fatima; Blackman, Eric G.

    2016-07-06

    Here, we study the dynamo generation (exponential growth) of large-scale (planar averaged) fields in unstratified shearing box simulations of the magnetorotational instability (MRI). In contrast to previous studies restricted to horizontal (x–y) averaging, we also demonstrate the presence of large-scale fields when vertical (y–z) averaging is employed instead. By computing space–time planar averaged fields and power spectra, we find large-scale dynamo action in the early MRI growth phase – a previously unidentified feature. Non-axisymmetric linear MRI modes with low horizontal wavenumbers and vertical wavenumbers near that of expected maximal growth, amplify the large-scale fields exponentially before turbulence and high wavenumbermore » fluctuations arise. Thus the large-scale dynamo requires only linear fluctuations but not non-linear turbulence (as defined by mode–mode coupling). Vertical averaging also allows for monitoring the evolution of the large-scale vertical field and we find that a feedback from horizontal low wavenumber MRI modes provides a clue as to why the large-scale vertical field sustains against turbulent diffusion in the non-linear saturation regime. We compute the terms in the mean field equations to identify the individual contributions to large-scale field growth for both types of averaging. The large-scale fields obtained from vertical averaging are found to compare well with global simulations and quasi-linear analytical analysis from a previous study by Ebrahimi & Blackman. We discuss the potential implications of these new results for understanding the large-scale MRI dynamo saturation and turbulence.« less

  12. The Dynamo package for tomography and subtomogram averaging: components for MATLAB, GPU computing and EC2 Amazon Web Services.

    PubMed

    Castaño-Díez, Daniel

    2017-06-01

    Dynamo is a package for the processing of tomographic data. As a tool for subtomogram averaging, it includes different alignment and classification strategies. Furthermore, its data-management module allows experiments to be organized in groups of tomograms, while offering specialized three-dimensional tomographic browsers that facilitate visualization, location of regions of interest, modelling and particle extraction in complex geometries. Here, a technical description of the package is presented, focusing on its diverse strategies for optimizing computing performance. Dynamo is built upon mbtools (middle layer toolbox), a general-purpose MATLAB library for object-oriented scientific programming specifically developed to underpin Dynamo but usable as an independent tool. Its structure intertwines a flexible MATLAB codebase with precompiled C++ functions that carry the burden of numerically intensive operations. The package can be delivered as a precompiled standalone ready for execution without a MATLAB license. Multicore parallelization on a single node is directly inherited from the high-level parallelization engine provided for MATLAB, automatically imparting a balanced workload among the threads in computationally intense tasks such as alignment and classification, but also in logistic-oriented tasks such as tomogram binning and particle extraction. Dynamo supports the use of graphical processing units (GPUs), yielding considerable speedup factors both for native Dynamo procedures (such as the numerically intensive subtomogram alignment) and procedures defined by the user through its MATLAB-based GPU library for three-dimensional operations. Cloud-based virtual computing environments supplied with a pre-installed version of Dynamo can be publicly accessed through the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), enabling users to rent GPU computing time on a pay-as-you-go basis, thus avoiding upfront investments in hardware and longterm software maintenance.

  13. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Garcia de Andrade, L. C.

    Vishik's anti-dynamo theorem is applied to a nonstretched twisted magnetic flux tube in Riemannian space. Marginal or slow dynamos along curved (folded), torsioned (twisted), and nonstretching flux tubes plasma flows are obtained. Riemannian curvature of the twisted magnetic flux tube is computed in terms of the Frenet curvature in the thin tube limit. It is shown that, for nonstretched filaments, fast dynamo action in the diffusive case cannot be obtained, in agreement with Vishik's argument that fast dynamos cannot be obtained in nonstretched flows. Instead of a fast dynamo, a nonuniform stretching slow dynamo is obtained. An example is given,more » which generalizes plasma dynamo laminar flows, recently presented by Wang et al. [Phys Plasmas 9, 1491 (2002)], in the case of low magnetic Reynolds number Re{sub m}{>=}210. Curved and twisting Riemannian heliotrons, where nondynamo modes are found even when stretching is present, shows that the simple presence of stretching is not enough for the existence of dynamo action. In this paper, folding plays the role of Riemannian curvature and can be used to cancel magnetic fields, not enhancing the dynamo action. Nondynamo modes are found for certain values of torsion, or Frenet curvature (folding) in the spirit of the anti-dynamo theorem. It is also shown that curvature and stretching are fundamental for the existence of fast dynamos in plasmas.« less

  14. High-quality electron beams from beam-driven plasma accelerators by wakefield-induced ionization injection.

    PubMed

    Martinez de la Ossa, A; Grebenyuk, J; Mehrling, T; Schaper, L; Osterhoff, J

    2013-12-13

    We propose a new and simple strategy for controlled ionization-induced trapping of electrons in a beam-driven plasma accelerator. The presented method directly exploits electric wakefields to ionize electrons from a dopant gas and capture them into a well-defined volume of the accelerating and focusing wake phase, leading to high-quality witness bunches. This injection principle is explained by example of three-dimensional particle-in-cell calculations using the code OSIRIS. In these simulations a high-current-density electron-beam driver excites plasma waves in the blowout regime inside a fully ionized hydrogen plasma of density 5×10(17)cm-3. Within an embedded 100  μm long plasma column contaminated with neutral helium gas, the wakefields trigger ionization, trapping of a defined fraction of the released electrons, and subsequent acceleration. The hereby generated electron beam features a 1.5 kA peak current, 1.5  μm transverse normalized emittance, an uncorrelated energy spread of 0.3% on a GeV-energy scale, and few femtosecond bunch length.

  15. Atmospheric pressure plasma jet's characterization and surface wettability driven by neon transformer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elfa, R. R.; Nafarizal, N.; Ahmad, M. K.; Sahdan, M. Z.; Soon, C. F.

    2017-03-01

    Atmospheric pressure plasma driven by Neon transformer power supply argon is presented in this paper. Atmospheric pressure plasma system has attracted researcher interest over low pressure plasma as it provides a flexibility process, cost-efficient, portable device and vacuum-free device. Besides, another golden key of this system is the wide promising application in the field of work cover from industrial and engineering to medical. However, there are still numbers of fundamental investigation that are necessary such as device configuration, gas configuration and its effect. Dielectric barrier discharge which is also known as atmospheric pressure plasma discharge is created when there is gas ionization process occur which enhance the movement of atom and electron and provide energetic particles. These energetic particles can provide modification and cleaning property to the sample surface due to the bombardment of the high reactive ion and radicals to the sample surface. In order to develop atmospheric pressure plasma discharge, a high voltage and high frequency power supply is needed. In this work, we used a neon transformer power supply as the power supply. The flow of the Ar is feed into 10 mm cylinder quartz tube with different treatment time in order to investigate the effect of the plasma discharge. The analysis of each treatment time is presented by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and water contact angle (WCA) measurement. The increase of gas treatment time shows increases intensity of reactive Ar and reduces the angle of water droplets in water contact angle. Treatment time of 20 s microslide glass surface shows that the plasma needle discharges have modified the sample surface from hydrophilic surface to superhydrophilic surface. Thus, this leads to another interesting application in reducing sample surface adhesion to optimize productivity in the industry of paintings, semiconductor and more.

  16. Observation of reflected electrons driven quasi- longitudinal (QL) whistlers in large laboratory plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanyasi, A. K.; Awasthi, L. M.; Srivastava, P. K.; Mattoo, S. K.; Sharma, D.; Singh, R.; Paikaray, R.; Kaw, P. K.

    2017-10-01

    This paper reports experimental and theoretical investigations on plasma turbulence in the source plasma of a Large Volume Plasma Device. It is shown that a highly asymmetrical localized thin rectangular slab of strong plasma turbulence is excited by loss cone instability. The position of the slab coincides with the injection line of the primary ionizing energetic electrons. Outside the slab, in the core, the turbulence is weaker by a factor of 30 . The plasma turbulence consists of oblique [ θ=tan-1(k⊥/k||)≈87 ° ] Quasi-Longitudinal (QL) electromagnetic whistlers in a broad band of 40 kHzdriven by primary ionizing energetic electrons but by the loss cone feature in the velocity distribution of reflected energetic electrons. A magnetic mirror is formed in the Electron Energy Filter when it is energized. It is shown that it is this mirror which is responsible for both reflection of the energetic electrons and imposing loss cone feature on it. Theoretical framework is based upon Oblique whistler approximation by Sharma and Vlahos [Astrophys. J. 280, 405 (1984)] and Verkhoglyadova et al. [J. Geophys. Res. 115, A00F19 (2010)] and Quasi Longitudinal (QL) whistlers by Booker and Dyce [Radio Sci. J. Res 69D (1965)] for excitation of the plasma turbulence in the magnetosphere.

  17. The DYNAMO Simulation Language--An Alternate Approach to Computer Science Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bronson, Richard

    1986-01-01

    Suggests the use of computer simulation of continuous systems as a problem solving approach to computer languages. Outlines the procedures that the system dynamics approach employs in computer simulations. Explains the advantages of the special purpose language, DYNAMO. (ML)

  18. A PROPOSED PARADIGM FOR SOLAR CYCLE DYNAMICS MEDIATED VIA TURBULENT PUMPING OF MAGNETIC FLUX IN BABCOCK–LEIGHTON-TYPE SOLAR DYNAMOS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hazra, Soumitra; Nandy, Dibyendu

    At present, the Babcock–Leighton flux transport solar dynamo models appear to be the most promising models for explaining diverse observational aspects of the sunspot cycle. The success of these flux transport dynamo models is largely dependent upon a single-cell meridional circulation with a deep equatorward component at the base of the Sun’s convection zone. However, recent observations suggest that the meridional flow may in fact be very shallow (confined to the top 10% of the Sun) and more complex than previously thought. Taken together, these observations raise serious concerns on the validity of the flux transport paradigm. By accounting formore » the turbulent pumping of magnetic flux, as evidenced in magnetohydrodynamic simulations of solar convection, we demonstrate that flux transport dynamo models can generate solar-like magnetic cycles even if the meridional flow is shallow. Solar-like periodic reversals are recovered even when meridional circulation is altogether absent. However, in this case, the solar surface magnetic field dynamics does not extend all the way to the polar regions. Very importantly, our results demonstrate that the Parker–Yoshimura sign rule for dynamo wave propagation can be circumvented in Babcock–Leighton dynamo models by the latitudinal component of turbulent pumping, which can generate equatorward propagating sunspot belts in the absence of a deep, equatorward meridional flow. We also show that variations in turbulent pumping coefficients can modulate the solar cycle amplitude and periodicity. Our results suggest the viability of an alternate magnetic flux transport paradigm—mediated via turbulent pumping—for sustaining solar-stellar dynamo action.« less

  19. Non-inductively driven tokamak plasmas at near-unity βt in the Pegasus toroidal experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reusch, J. A.; Bodner, G. M.; Bongard, M. W.; Burke, M. G.; Fonck, R. J.; Pachicano, J. L.; Perry, J. M.; Pierren, C.; Rhodes, A. T.; Richner, N. J.; Rodriguez Sanchez, C.; Schlossberg, D. J.; Weberski, J. D.

    2018-05-01

    A major goal of the spherical tokamak (ST) research program is accessing a state of low internal inductance ℓi, high elongation κ, and high toroidal and normalized beta ( βt and βN) without solenoidal current drive. Local helicity injection (LHI) in the Pegasus ST [Garstka et al., Nucl. Fusion 46, S603 (2006)] provides non-solenoidally driven plasmas that exhibit these characteristics. LHI utilizes compact, edge-localized current sources for plasma startup and sustainment. It results in hollow current density profiles with low ℓi. The low aspect ratio ( R0/a ˜1.2 ) of Pegasus allows access to high κ and high normalized plasma currents ( IN=Ip/a BT>14 ). Magnetic reconnection during LHI provides auxiliary ion heating. Together, these features provide access to very high βt plasmas. Equilibrium analyses indicate that βt up to ˜100% is achieved. These high βt discharges disrupt at the ideal no-wall β limit at βN˜7.

  20. Experiments on Turbulent Modifications to Ohm's Law in the Madison Dynamo Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goldwin, J.; O'Connell, R.; Kendrick, R.; Bastian, N.; Forest, C. B.

    1998-11-01

    Theories of MHD turbulence predict the existence of an anomalous resistivity and field-aligned current generation: j = β nabla × B + α B. The dynamo experiment being built at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is well suited for quantifying the turbulent transport coefficients α and β. The experiment is a spherical volume of liquid sodium with helical flows driven by propellers and high Reynolds number (Re ≈ 10^7), making it well suited for these studies. Two experiments are proposed: (1) A Helmholtz coil will produce a magnetic field in the z-direction, and the resulting toroidal field will be measured for the anomalous resistivity-the β-effect and (2) A toroidal magnetic field will be applied to the sphere through currents in a center column, and the induced toroidal current will be measured with a Rogowski coil-the α-effect. Complete measurements of turbulent velocity fields (including the turbulent helicity density) are being made in a dimensionally similar water experiment (water and sodium have the same viscosity and mass density) such that the magnitude of the α and β values can be estimated for the sodium experiment.