A unified, three-scale system of equations accommodating nonlinear velocity driven helical dynamos, as well as time-dependent relaxation of magnetically dominated unihelical or bihelical systems is derived and solved herein. When opposite magnetic helicities of equal magnitude are injected on the intermediate and small scales, the large scale magnetic helicity grows kinematically (independent of the magnetic Reynolds number) to equal that on the intermediate scale. For both free and driven relaxation large scale fields are rapidly produced. Subsequently, a dissipation-limited dynamo, driven by growth of small scale kinetic helicity, further amplifies the large scale field. The results are important for astrophysical coronae fed with bihelical structures by dynamos in their host rotators. The large scale for the rotator corresponds to the intermediate scale for the corona. That bihelical magnetic relaxation can produce global scale fields may help to explain the formation of astrophysical coronal holes and magnetohydrodynamic outflows.
Authors: Eric G. Blackman (Univ. of Rochester)
Projects: None
Publication Status: submitted to Physics of Plasmas
Last Modified: 2004-07-07 21:19
 
 
New dynamical mean field dynamo theory and closure approach
We develop a new nonlinear mean field dynamo theory that couples field growth to the time evolution of the magnetic helicity and the turbulent electromotive force, Emf. We show that the difference between kinetic and current helicities emerges naturally as the growth driver when the time derivative of Emf is coupled into the theory. The solutions predict significant field growth in a kinematic phase and a saturation rate/strength that is magnetic Reynolds number dependent/independent in agreement with numerical simulations. The amplitude of early time oscillations provides a diagnostic for the closure.
Authors: Eric G. Blackman (Univ. of Rochester) , George B. Field (CFA)
Projects: None
Publication Status: Published in Physical Review Letters 89, 265007 (2002)
Last Modified: 2003-07-11 18:28