Stellar Dynamos

Abstract

AbstractEnergy is transported from the central regions of a star to its surface. Generally this transport is in certain layers carried on by convective motions. Because of the structure, which these motions have due to the influence of the overall rotation, the star becomes electromagnetically unstable, i.e. a large magnetic field grows from small seed fields as a result of the dynamo process. The internal structure, especially the symmetries of a star, will be, at least to some extend, reflected by the spatial structure and the time behaviour of the excited magnetic field. In this sense observations of the magnetic field on a surface of a star and the related activity phenomena can provide insight in the internal structure of the star, since characteristic parameters like thickness of the convection zone, mixing length, turnover time, profile of the differential rotation, etc. strongly influence the dynamo process.The actual magnetic field of a star is a product of a nonlinear process. Models elaborated on the kinematical (i.e. linear) level provide insight in the excitation conditions and the linear field modes. The marginal mode, i.e. the mode which is easiest to excite, reflects properties of the nonlinear solution in case the system operates not far from the margin to the dynamo unstable region. Here the solutions show symmetries with respect to the axis of rotation and the equatorial plane, properties which are, for example, to a large extend fulfilled for the solar average magnetic field. For systems operating far from this margin irregular or even chaotic behaviour has to be expected. From observations there is a strong indication that these theoretical possibilities find their realizations within the sample of late-type stars.