2005/10/31 by M. D. Nornberg, E. J. Spence, Erik Spence +5 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #physics.flu-dyn #physics.plasm-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1063/1.2173614
published as Phys. Plasmas 13, 055901 (2006) · 9 pages, 11 figures, invited talk by C. B. Forest at 2005 APS DPP meeting, resubmitted to Physics of Plasmas
arxiv created 2005/12/24 · openalex publication_date 2006/05/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Initial results from the Madison Dynamo Experiment provide details of the inductive response of a turbulent flow of liquid sodium to an applied magnetic field. The magnetic field structure is reconstructed from both internal and external measurements. A mean toroidal magnetic field is induced by the flow when an axial field is applied, thereby demonstrating the omega effect. Poloidal magnetic flux is expelled from the fluid by the poloidal flow. Small-scale magnetic field structures are generated by turbulence in the flow. The resulting magnetic power spectrum exhibits a power-law scaling consistent with the equipartition of the magnetic field with a turbulent velocity field. The magnetic power spectrum has an apparent knee at the resistive dissipation scale. Large-scale eddies in the flow cause significant changes to the instantaneous flow profile resulting in intermittent bursts of nonaxisymmetric magnetic fields, demonstrating that the transition to a dynamo is not smooth for a turbulent flow.