Helicity generation and α-effect by Tayler instability with z-dependent differential rotation

DOI10.1051/0004-6361:20077781zbMATH Open1137.85320arXiv0705.0448OpenAlexW2153393435WikidataQ68671866 ScholiaQ68671866MaRDI QIDQ5457834FDOQ5457834

Authors: Marcus Gellert, G. Rüdiger, Detlef Elstner 

Publication date: 8 April 2008

Published in: Astronomy & Astrophysics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We investigate in isothermal MHD simulations the instability of toroidal magnetic fields resulting by the action of z-dependent differential rotation on a given axial field B^0 in a cylindrical enclosure where in particular the helicity of the resulting nonaxisymmetric flow is of interest. The idea is probed that helicity H is related to the external field and the differential rotation as H ~ B^0_i B^0_j Omega_i,j. The observed instability leads to a nonaxisymmetric solution with dominating mode m=1. With the onset of instability both kinematic and current helicity are produced which fulfill the suggested relation. Obviously, differential rotation dOmega/dz only needs an external axial field B^0_z to produce remarkable amounts of the helicities. Any regular time-dependency of the helicity could not be found. The resulting axial alpha-effect is mainly due to the current helicity, the characteristic time scale between both the values is of order of the rotation time. If the axial field is switched off then the helicity and the alpha-effect disappear.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/0705.0448

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zbMATH Keywords

magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Galactic and stellar structure (85A15) Hydrodynamic and hydromagnetic problems in astronomy and astrophysics (85A30)

Cited In (4)

• Numerical simulation of evolution of helical-vortex instability in a fluid layer heated from below
• Stability and instability of hydromagnetic Taylor-Couette flows
• A semi-discrete central scheme for magnetohydrodynamics on orthogonal-curvilinear grids
• On the spatial segregation of helicity by inertial waves in dynamo simulations and planetary cores

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