Planetary dynamos: effects of electrically conducting flows overlying turbulent regions of magnetic field generation

被引:17
作者
Schubert, G [1 ]
Chan, KH
Liao, XH
Zhang, KK
机构
[1] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Dept Earth & Space Sci, Inst Geophys & Planetary Phys, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
[2] Hong Kong Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Math, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Peoples R China
[3] Chinese Acad Sci, Shanghai Astron Observ, Shanghai 200030, Peoples R China
[4] Univ Exeter, Sch Math Sci, Exeter EX4 4QE, Devon, England
基金
英国自然环境研究理事会;
关键词
geophysics; magnetic fields;
D O I
10.1016/j.icarus.2004.06.007
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
A fully three-dimensional, nonlinear, time-dependent, multi-layered spherical kinematic dynamo model is used to study the effect on the observable external magnetic field of flow in an electrically conducting layer above a spherical turbulent dynamo region in which the alpha effect generates the magnetic field. It is shown that the amplitude and structure of an observable planetary magnetic field are largely determined by the magnitude and structure of the flow in the overlying layer. It is also shown that a strong-field planetary dynamo can be readily produced by the effect of an electrically conducting flow layer at the top of a convective core. The overlying layer and the underlying convective region constitute a magnetically strongly coupled system. Such overlying layers might exist at the top of the Earth's core due to chemical or thermal causes, in the cores of other terrestrial planets for similar reasons, and in Saturn due to the differentiation of helium from hydrogen. An electrically conducting and differentially rotating layer could exist above the metallic hydrogen region in Jupiter and affect the jovian magnetic field similar to the overlying layers in other planets. Lateral temperature gradients resulting in thermal winds drive the flow in the overlying layers. All planetary magnetic fields could be maintained by similar turbulent convective dynamos in the field-generation regions of planets with the differences among observable magnetic fields due to different circulations in the overlying electrically conducting layers. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
引用
收藏
页码:305 / 315
页数:11
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