Summary
The article begins with a reference to the first rational approaches to explaining the earth’s magnetic field notably Elsasser’s application of magneto-hydrodynamics, followed by brief outlines of the characteristics of planetary magnetic fields and of the potentially insightful homopolar dynamo in illuminating the basic issues: theoretical requirements of asymmetry and finite conductivity in sustaining the dynamo process. It concludes with sections on Dynamo modeling and, in particular, the Geo-dynamo, but not before some of the evocative physical processes mediated by the Lorentz force and the behaviour of a flux tube embedded in a perfectly conducting fluid, using Alfvén theorem, are explained, as well as the traditional intermediate approaches to investigating dynamo processes using the more tractable Kinematic models.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Larmor, J., Rept. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. P 159, (1919)
Elsasser, Walter M., Phys. Rev., Vol. 72, P 821 (1947)
Cowling, T. G., MNRAS, 94, 39 (1934)
Roberts, P. H., Lectures on Solar and Planetary Dynamos, Ed: M. R. E. Proctor and A. D. Gilbert (1994)
Merrill, R. T. McElhinny, M. W. McFadden, P. L. The Magnetic Field of the Eath: Paleomagnetism, the Core, and the Deep Mantle, Acdemic Press, San Diego, California, P 531 (1996)
Stix M., Roberts, P. H. Phys. Earth Planet Int., Vol. 36, P 49 (1984)
Fitzpatrick, R., Lectures on Magneto-hydrodynamic Theory: http://farside.ph.utexas.edu
Christensen, U. R, Aubert, J., Cardin, P., et al. Phys. Earth Planet. Int., Vol 128, P 25 (2001)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Gaur, V.K. (2009). Planetary Dynamos. In: Hasan, S.S., Gangadhara, R.T., Krishan, V. (eds) Turbulence, Dynamos, Accretion Disks, Pulsars and Collective Plasma Processes. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8868-1_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8868-1_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-8867-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-8868-1
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)