Kinematic dynamos and the Earth’s magnetic field

Source abstract

Abstract The Bullard—Gellman formalism is applied to investigate the existence of convergent solutions for steady kinematic dynamos. It is found that the solutions for the Bullard—Gellman dynamo, as well as for Lilley’s modification of it, do not converge. Convergent solutions have been found for a class of spherical convective cells which would be stationary in a perfect fluid in the absence of rotation and of the magnetic field. By calibrating the theoretical magnetic dipole so as to fit the observed value at the Earth’s surface, one can find a dynamo in the above class which also matches the observed equatorial magnetic dipoles. There is a dynamo which has a rate of total ohmic dissipation of only 1.8 x 1016 erg s-1 for an assumed electrical conductivity of 3 x 10~6 e.m.u.'f This is one thousandth the rate of tidal dissipation, and one hundred thousandth the rate of heat outflow from the surface of the Earth. The required velocities are of the order of 10~3 cm s_1, and the average magnetic energy density is 4 erg cm-3. The internal structure of the magnetic field in this model shows a dynamo mechanism situated in the outer part of the liquid core and is thus insensitive to possible rigidity of the material in the * inner core.