Generation of large-scale magnetic fields by small-scale dynamo in shear flows
Abstract
We propose a new mechanism for 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 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 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.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1506.04109,
title = {Generation of large-scale magnetic fields by small-scale dynamo in shear flows},
author = {Jonathan Squire and Amitava Bhattacharjee},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1506.04109},
year = {2015}
}