Solar and planetary dynamos: comparison and recent developments

TL;DR

This paper systematically compares solar and planetary dynamo theories, highlighting their similarities, differences, and recent developments to provide a comprehensive understanding of magnetic field generation in celestial bodies.

Contribution

It offers a systematic comparison of solar and planetary dynamos, emphasizing analogies, differences, and recent advances in the field.

Findings

Identification of key similarities and differences between solar and planetary dynamos

Highlighting recent theoretical and observational developments

Providing a unified perspective on magnetic field generation mechanisms

Abstract

While obviously having a common root, solar and planetary dynamo theory have taken increasingly divergent routes in the last two or three decades, and there are probably few experts now who can claim to be equally versed in both. Characteristically, even in the fine and comprehensive book "The magnetic Universe" (Rudiger & Hollerbach 2004), the chapters on planets and on the Sun were written by different authors. Separate reviews written on the two topics include Petrovay (2000}, Charbonneau (2005), Choudhuri (2008) on the solar dynamo and Glatzmaier (2002), Stevenson (2003) on the planetary dynamo. In the following I will try to make a systematic comparison between solar and planetary dynamos, presenting analogies and differences, and highlighting some interesting recent results.