Published January 28, 2002 | Version v1
Report

Magnetized Turbulent Dynamo in Protogalaxies; TOPICAL

Description

The prevailing theory for the origin of cosmic magnetic fields is that they have been amplified to their present values by the turbulent dynamo inductive action in the protogalactic and galactic medium. Up to now, in calculation of the turbulent dynamo, it has been customary to assume that there is no back reaction of the magnetic field on the turbulence, as long as the magnetic energy is less than the turbulent kinetic energy. This assumption leads to the kinematic dynamo theory. However, the applicability of this theory to protogalaxies is rather limited. The reason is that in protogalaxies the temperature is very high, and the viscosity is dominated by magnetized ions. As the magnetic field strength grows in time, the ion cyclotron time becomes shorter than the ion collision time, and the plasma becomes strongly magnetized. As a result, the ion viscosity becomes the Braginskii viscosity. Thus, in protogalaxies the back reaction sets in much earlier, at field strengths much lower than those which correspond to field-turbulence energy equipartition, and the turbulent dynamo becomes what we call the magnetized turbulent dynamo. In this paper we lay the theoretical groundwork for the magnetized turbulent dynamo. In particular, we predict that the magnetic energy growth rate in the magnetized dynamo theory is up to ten times larger than that in the kinematic dynamo theory. We also briefly discuss how the Braginskii viscosity can aid the development of the inverse cascade of magnetic energy after the energy equipartition is reached

Availability note (English)

Available from OSTI as DE00796126; www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/796126-BsL8Qo/native/

Additional details

Publishing Information

Imprint Pagination
493 Kilobytes
Report number
PPPL--3672.pdf

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
United States
INIS RN
33067019
Subject category
S70: PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Resource subtype / Literary indicator
Non-conventional Literature
Descriptors DEI
ION COLLISIONS; KINETIC ENERGY; MAGNETIC FIELDS; ORIGIN; PLASMA; TURBULENCE; VISCOSITY
Descriptors DEC
COLLISIONS; ENERGY

Optional Information

Contract/Grant/Project number
AC02-76CH03073
Funding organization
USDOE Office of Science (United States)