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arXiv · 2509.03248

Alpha effect and dynamo in density-stratified turbulence with large-scale shear: applications to protoplanetary discs and astrophysical clouds

Igor Rogachevskii·Nathan Kleeorin
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Abstract

A joint effect of the density-stratified turbulence (or inhomogeneous turbulence) and a large-scale shear for arbitrary Mach numbers results in the $\alpha$ effect and mean-field dynamo action. These effects also produce the effective pumping velocity of a large-scale magnetic field. Compressibility of the turbulent velocity field (i.e., finite Mach number effects) does not affect the contributions to the $\alpha$ tensor caused by the joint effect of inhomogeneity of turbulence and a large-scale shear. The isotropic part of the $\alpha$ tensor is independent of the exponent of the turbulent kinetic energy spectrum. There is also an additional contribution to the effective pumping velocity of the mean magnetic field that is proportional to the product of the fluid density gradient and the divergence of the mean fluid velocity caused, e.g., by collapsing (or expanding) astrophysical clouds. Applications of these effects to protoplanetary discs, proto-galactic and proto-stellar clouds are discussed.

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Igor Rogachevskii, Nathan Kleeorin. 2025-09-03. Alpha effect and dynamo in density-stratified turbulence with large-scale shear: applications to protoplanetary discs and astrophysical clouds. https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.03248

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