A novel type of intermittency in a non-linear dynamo in a compressible flow

The transition to an intermittent mean-field dynamo is studied using numerical simulations of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence driven by a helical forcing. The low-Prandtl number regime is investigated by keeping the kinematic viscosity fixed while the magnetic diffusivity is varied. Just below the critical parameter for the onset of dynamo action, a transient mean field with low magnetic energy is observed. After the transition to a sustained dynamo, the system is shown to evolve through different types of intermittency until a large-scale coherent field with small-scale turbulent fluctuations is formed. Prior to this coherent field stage, a new type of intermittency is detected, where the magnetic field randomly alternates between phases of coherent and incoherent large-scale spatial structures. The relevance of these findings to the understanding of the physics of mean-field dynamo and the physical mechanisms behind intermittent behaviour observed in stellar magnetic field variability are discussed.