Related papers: Current helicity constraints in solar dynamo model…
Aims. The main aim of this work is to study the evolution of the recently introduced relative helicity of the magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL) in a magnetohydrodynamics simulation. Methods. The simulation used is a typical flux…
Helical magnetic background fields with adjustable pitch angle are imposed on a conducting fluid in a differentially rotating cylindrical container. The small-scale kinetic and current helicities are calculated for various field geometries,…
For more than 40 years the quest to understand how large-scale magnetic fields emerge from turbulent flows in rotating astrophysical systems, such as the Sun, has been a major focus of computational astrophysics research. Using a parameter…
Several solar-like stars exhibit cyclic magnetic activity similar to the Sun as found in photospheric and chromospheric emission. We want to understand the physical mechanism involved in rotational dependence of these activity cycle…
An update is given on the current status of solar and stellar dynamos. At present, it is still unclear why stellar cycle frequencies increase with rotation frequency in such a way that their ratio increases with stellar activity. The…
The butterfly diagram of the solar cycle exhibits a poleward migration of the diffuse magnetic field resulting from the decay of trailing sunspots. It is one component of what is sometimes referred to as the "rush to the poles". We…
In the past few years suggestions have emerged that the solar magnetic field might have a bi-helical component with oppositely polarized magnetic fields at large and small scales, and that the shedding of such fields may be crucial for the…
We analyse the topology of photospheric magnetic fields and sub-photospheric flows of several active regions (ARs) that are observed during the peak to descending phase of the solar cycle 23. Our analysis shows clear evidence of hemispheric…
We present a series of radiative MHD simulations addressing the origin and distribution of mixed polarity magnetic field in the solar photosphere. To this end we consider numerical simulations that cover the uppermost 2-6 Mm of the solar…
When our Sun was young it rotated much more rapidly than now. Observations of young, rapidly rotating stars indicate that many possess substantial magnetic activity and strong axisymmetric magnetic fields. We conduct simulations of dynamo…
Observations show that solar activity is distributed non-axisymmetrically, concentrating at "preferred longitudes". This indicates the important role of non-axisymmetric magnetic fields in the origin of solar activity. We investigate the…
The alpha effect is believed to play a key role in the generation of the solar magnetic field. A fundamental test for its significance in the solar dynamo is to look for magnetic helicity of opposite signs in the two hemispheres, and at…
Mean-field dynamo theory has important applications in solar physics and galactic magnetism. We discuss some of the many turbulence effects relevant to the generation of large-scale magnetic fields in the solar convection zone. The…
We present the assessment of a diffusion-dominated mean field axisymmetric dynamo model in reproducing historical solar activity and forecast for solar cycle 25. Previous studies point to the Sun's polar magnetic field as an important proxy…
The location of the solar dynamo is discussed in the context of new insights into the theory of nonlinear turbulent dynamos. It is argued that, from a dynamo-theoretic point of view, the bottom of the convection zone is not a likely…
Arguments for and against the widely accepted picture of a solar dynamo being seated in the tachocline are reviewed and alternative ideas concerning dynamos operating in the bulk of the convection zone, or perhaps even in the near-surface…
The Solar Hemispherical Helicity Rule(s) (SHHR) is a term used to represent a bias observed in proxies for the magnetic helicity in active regions at the solar surface. The SHHR states that predominantly negative magnetic helicity is…
Numerical MHD simulations play increasingly important role for understanding mechanisms of stellar magnetism. We present simulations of convection and dynamos in density-stratified rotating spherical fluid shells. We employ a new 3D…
The paper presents a study of kinematic axisymmetric mean-field dynamo models for a case of the meridional circulation with a deep-seated stagnation point and a strong return flow at the bottom of the convection zone. This kind of…
The main objective of this study is to better understand how magnetic helicity injection in an active region is related to the occurrence and intensity of solar flares. We therefore investigate magnetic helicity injection rate and unsigned…