Numerical simulation of tidal synchronization of the large-scale circulation in Rayleigh-B\'enard convection with aspect ratio 1

TL;DR

This paper uses numerical simulations to study how electromagnetic tidal-like forcing influences the large-scale circulation in Rayleigh-Bénard convection, shedding light on synchronization phenomena relevant to solar cycle stability.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical analysis of tidal electromagnetic forcing effects on large-scale circulation in Rayleigh-Bénard convection, highlighting the interaction mechanisms involved.

Findings

Electromagnetic forcing induces a peak frequency in the m=2 flow mode.

The large-scale circulation interacts with time-modulated electromagnetic forcing.

Results suggest a potential mechanism for phase stability in solar cycles.

Abstract

A possible explanation for the apparent phase stability of the 11.07-year Schwabe cycle of the solar dynamo was the subject of a series of recent papers. The synchronization of the helicity of an instability with azimuthal wavenumber m=1 by a tidal m=2 perturbation played a key role here. To analyze this type of interaction in a paradigmatic set-up, we study a thermally driven Rayleigh-B\'enard Convection (RBC) of a liquid metal under the influence of a tide-like electromagnetic forcing. As shown previously, the time-modulation of this forcing emerges as a peak frequency in the m=2 mode of the radial flow velocity component. In this paper we present new numerical results on the interplay between the Large Scale Circulation (LSC) of a RBC flow and the time modulated electromagnetic forcing.