The Lorentz force effect on the On-Off dynamo intermittency

TL;DR

This paper studies how the Lorentz force influences the on-off intermittency in dynamo systems near the threshold, revealing its role in modifying flow fluctuations and transition behaviors.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of the Lorentz force on dynamo intermittency and flow statistics, providing new insights into nonlinear dynamo dynamics.

Findings

Lorentz force reduces turbulent fluctuation amplitudes

Longer on-phases observed due to Lorentz force effects

Transition from chaotic to laminar flow with increasing Reynolds number

Abstract

An investigation of the dynamo instability close to the threshold produced by an ABC forced flow is presented. We focus on the on-off intermittency behavior of the dynamo and the counter-effect of the Lorentz force in the non-linear stage of the dynamo. The Lorentz force drastically alters the statistics of the turbulent fluctuations of the flow and reduces their amplitude. As a result much longer burst (on-phases) are observed than what is expected based on the amplitude of the fluctuations in the kinematic regime of the dynamo. For large Reynolds numbers, the duration time of the ``On'' phase follows a power law distribution, while for smaller Reynolds numbers the Lorentz force completely kills the noise and the system transits from a chaotic state into a ``laminar'' time periodic flow. The behavior of the On-Off intermittency as the Reynolds number is increased is also examined. The connections with dynamo experiments and theoretical modeling are discussed.