Simple Mechanism for Reversals of Earth's Magnetic Field

Journal Article · Fri Apr 10 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.102.144503· OSTI ID:21180359

Petrelis, Francois; Fauve, Stephan ^[1]; Dormy, Emmanuel ^[2]; Valet, Jean-Pierre ^[3]

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1. Ecole Normale Superieure, LPS, UMR CNRS 8550, 24 Rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris (France)
2. Ecole Normale Superieure, LRA, 24 Rue Lhomond, 75005, Paris (France)
3. Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, UMR CNRS 7154, 4, Place Jussieu, F-75252 Paris Cedex 05 (France)

We show that a model, recently used to describe all the dynamical regimes of the magnetic field generated by the dynamo effect in the von Karman sodium experiment, also provides a simple explanation of the reversals of Earth's magnetic field, despite strong differences between both systems. The validity of the model relies on the smallness of the magnetic Prandtl number.

• OSTI ID: 21180359
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 102, Issue 14; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.144503; (c) 2009 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
EARTH PLANET
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PRANDTL NUMBER
SODIUM