Complex dynamical regimes of the Tayler-Spruit dynamo
Abstract
Astrophysical dynamos feature various spatial structures and dynamical regimes, ranging from hemispherical magnetic fields to the random reversals of the geodynamo. The Tayler-Spruit dynamo, recently confirmed in direct numerical simulations, has been invoked to explain angular momentum transport in stellar radiative zones and magnetar formation in a proto-neutron star spun up by fallback accretion. Whether this dynamo mechanism can lead to different dynamical regimes remains an open question. Using threedimensional direct numerical simulations, we model the dynamics of a stably stratified spherical Couette flow, with the outer sphere rotating faster than the inner one. While the generation of strong stationary and hemispherical dynamos has been observed in our previous studies, we report the existence of reversals and complex temporal dynamics. We observe that the dynamics is strongly correlated with the equatorial symmetry breaking of the flow. Focusing on a fiducial dynamo simulation, we propose an interpretation of its dynamics that consists of the coupling of two large-scale magnetic modes with opposite equatorial symmetries by the flow symmetry breaking. While this interpretation captures the simplest observed dynamics, the nonlinear interaction between a higher number of magnetic modes is certainly required to describe more complex regimes. The wide diversity of dynamical regimes generated by the Tayler-Spruit dynamo may have interesting implications for the geometry of the neutron star magnetic fields, and therefore neutron star emissions.
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BibTeX
@article{barrere2026complex,
title = {{Complex dynamical regimes of the Tayler-Spruit dynamo}},
author = {Paul Barrère and Jérôme Guilet and Basile Gallet and Raphaël Raynaud},
journal = {Physical Review Fluids},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1103/xp6d-7gl4},
eprint = {2601.02182},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05840925v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Complex dynamical regimes of the Tayler-Spruit dynamo
AU - Paul Barrère
AU - Jérôme Guilet
AU - Basile Gallet
AU - Raphaël Raynaud
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Physical Review Fluids
DO - 10.1103/xp6d-7gl4
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05840925v1
AB - Astrophysical dynamos feature various spatial structures and dynamical regimes, ranging from hemispherical magnetic fields to the random reversals of the geodynamo. The Tayler-Spruit dynamo, recently confirmed in direct numerical simulations, has been invoked to explain angular momentum transport in stellar radiative zones and magnetar formation in a proto-neutron star spun up by fallback accretion. Whether this dynamo mechanism can lead to different dynamical regimes remains an open question. Using threedimensional direct numerical simulations, we model the dynamics of a stably stratified spherical Couette flow, with the outer sphere rotating faster than the inner one. While the generation of strong stationary and hemispherical dynamos has been observed in our previous studies, we report the existence of reversals and complex temporal dynamics. We observe that the dynamics is strongly correlated with the equatorial symmetry breaking of the flow. Focusing on a fiducial dynamo simulation, we propose an interpretation of its dynamics that consists of the coupling of two large-scale magnetic modes with opposite equatorial symmetries by the flow symmetry breaking. While this interpretation captures the simplest observed dynamics, the nonlinear interaction between a higher number of magnetic modes is certainly required to describe more complex regimes. The wide diversity of dynamical regimes generated by the Tayler-Spruit dynamo may have interesting implications for the geometry of the neutron star magnetic fields, and therefore neutron star emissions.
SN - 2469-990X
ER -