No asymptotic regime found in high-resolution stellar dynamo simulations

July 14, 2016

Three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations have recently been able to reproduce solar-like magnetic activity and non-axisymmetric large-scale magnetic fields self-consistently. The parameter regimes of such simulations are, however, still far removed from realistic conditions of stellar interiors. In our study we searched ...

No asymptotic regime found in high-resolution stellar dynamo simulations
Three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations have recently been
able to reproduce solar-like magnetic activity and non-axisymmetric
large-scale magnetic fields self-consistently. The parameter regimes
of such simulations are, however, still far removed from realistic
conditions of stellar interiors. In our study we searched for an
asymptotic regime where the large-scale features would no longer be
dependent on the diffusion coefficients, and where the large-scale
results would likely be representative of real stars. Instead, we
found that as the turbulence becomes more vigorous, differential
rotation is severely quenched and no clear indication of an asymptotic
regime is found even at the highest resolution. A vigorous small-scale
dynamo is a possible culprit for the behavior and our results call for
even higher resolution follow-up studies. more
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