The $α$ Dynamo Effects in Laboratory Plasmas

Details The $α$ Dynamo Effects in Laboratory Plasmas The $α$ Dynamo Effects in Laboratory Plasmas

2001-10-15

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0110352v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

21 pages, 15 figures, submitted to Magnetohydrodynamics

Scientific paper

A concise review of observations of the $\alpha$ dynamo effect in laboratory plasmas is given. Unlike many astrophysical systems, the laboratory pinch plasmas are driven magnetically. When the system is overdriven, the resultant instabilities cause magnetic and flow fields to fluctuate, and their correlation induces electromotive forces along the mean magnetic field. This $\alpha$-effect drives mean parallel electric current, which, in turn, modifies the initial background mean magnetic structure towards the stable regime. This drive-and-relax cycle, or the so-called self-organization process, happens in magnetized plasmas in a time scale much shorter than resistive diffusion time, thus it is a fast and unquenched dynamo process. The observed $\alpha$-effect redistributes magnetic helicity (a measure of twistedness and knottedness of magnetic field lines) but conserves its total value. It can be shown that fast and unquenched dynamos are natural consequences of a driven system where fluctuations are statistically either not stationary in time or not homogeneous in space, or both. Implications to astrophysical phenomena will be discussed.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

The $α$ Dynamo Effects in Laboratory Plasmas does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with The $α$ Dynamo Effects in Laboratory Plasmas, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The $α$ Dynamo Effects in Laboratory Plasmas will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-216