Simple Mechanism for Reversals of Earth’s Magnetic Field

François Pétrélis, Stéphan Fauve, Emmanuel Dormy, and Jean-Pierre Valet
Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 144503 – Published 7 April 2009

Abstract

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 Kármán 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.

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  • Received 2 October 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.144503

©2009 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

François Pétrélis1, Stéphan Fauve1, Emmanuel Dormy2,3, and Jean-Pierre Valet3

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

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Issue

Vol. 102, Iss. 14 — 10 April 2009

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