Linear and non-linear features of the Taylor-Green dynamo

Abstract

The Taylor-Green flow is a model flow sharing many properties with the von Kármán flow, in which experimental turbulent dynamo action has recently been achieved. We present here recent numerical results on the Taylor-Green dynamo instability, both in the linear and non-linear regime. Various properties are considered, such as the influence of turbulence, the energy transfer between different scales, the spatial structure of the neutral mode, the nature of the bifurcation and the saturation mechanisms. We also discuss the role of the velocity fluctuations on the dynamo onset. To cite this article: Y. Ponty et al., C. R. Physique 9 (2008). © 2008 Académie des sciences.