arXiv subjects

L. Marie

Publications and source records attributed to L. Marie.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2007

Magnetic field reversals in an experimental turbulent dynamo

We report the first experimental observation of reversals of a dynamo field generated in a laboratory experiment based on a turbulent flow of liquid sodium. The magnetic field randomly switches between two symmetric solutions B and -B. We observe a hierarchy of time scales similar to the Earth's magnetic field: the duration of the steady phases is widely distributed, but is always much longer than the time needed to switch polarity. In addition to reversals we report excursions. Both coincide with minima of the mechanical power driving the flow. Small changes in the flow driving parameters also reveal a large variety of dynamo regimes.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2007

Generation of magnetic field by dynamo action in a turbulent flow of liquid sodium

We report the observation of dynamo action in the VKS experiment, i.e., the generation of magnetic field by a strongly turbulent swirling flow of liquid sodium. Both mean and fluctuating parts of the field are studied. The dynamo threshold corresponds to a magnetic Reynolds number Rm \sim 30. A mean magnetic field of order 40 G is observed 30% above threshold at the flow lateral boundary. The rms fluctuations are larger than the corresponding mean value for two of the components. The scaling of the mean square magnetic field is compared to a prediction previously made for high Reynolds number flows.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2003

Numerical study of homogeneous dynamo based on experimental von Karman type flows

A numerical study of the magnetic induction equation has been performed on von Karman type flows. These flows are generated by two co-axial counter-rotating propellers in cylindrical containers. Such devices are currently used in the von Karman sodium (VKS) experiment designed to study dynamo action in an unconstrained flow. The mean velocity fields have been measured for different configurations and are introduced in a periodic cylindrical kinematic dynamo code. Depending on the driving configuration, on the poloidal to toroidal flow ratio and on the conductivity of boundaries, some flows are observed to sustain growing magnetic fields for magnetic Reynolds numbers accessible to a sodium experiment. The response of the flow to an external magnetic field has also been studied: The results are in excellent agreement with experimental results in the single propeller case but can differ in the two propellers case.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2002

The alpha effect and its saturation in a turbulent swirling flow generated in the VKS experiment

We report the experimental observation of the alpha-effect. It consists in the generation of a current parallel to a magnetic field B0 applied to a turbulent swirling flow of liquid sodium. At low magnetic Reynolds number, Rm, we show that the magnitude of the alpha-effect increases like Rm2 and that its sign is determined by the flow helicity. It saturates and then decreases at large Rm, primarily because of the expulsion of the applied field B0 from the bulk of the flow. We show how this expulsion is affected by the flow geometry by varying the relative amplitudes of the azimuthal and axial flows.

physics.flu-dyn↗