Magnetic fluctuations and formation of large-scale inhomogeneous magnetic structures in a turbulent convection

Abstract

Magnetic fluctuations generated by a tangling of the mean magnetic field by velocity fluctuations are studied in a developed turbulent convection with large magnetic Reynolds numbers. We show that the energy of magnetic fluctuations depends on magnetic Reynolds number only when the mean magnetic field is smaller than $B_{eq}/4R{m}^{1/4}$, where $B_{eq}$ is the equipartition mean magnetic field determined by the turbulent kinetic energy and Rm is magnetic Reynolds number. Generation of magnetic fluctuations in a turbulent convection with a nonzero mean magnetic field results in a decrease of the total turbulent pressure and may cause formation of the large-scale inhomogeneous magnetic structures even in an originally uniform mean magnetic field. This effect is caused by a negative contribution of the turbulent convection to the effective mean Lorentz force. The inhomogeneous large-scale magnetic fields are formed due to the excitation of the large-scale instability. The energy for this instability is supplied by the small-scale turbulent convection. The discussed effects might be useful for understanding the origin of the solar nonuniform magnetic fields, e.g., sunspots.

16 pages, 8 Figures, Physical Review E, in press

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• Budget equations and astrophysical nonlinear mean-field dynamos
• Galactic magnetic fields II. Applying the model to nearby galaxies
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• Synthesizing Observations and Theory to Understand Galactic Magnetic Fields: Progress and Challenges