A Gaussian Model for Simulated Geomagnetic Field Reversals

Field reversals are the most spectacular changes in the geomagnetic field but remain little understood. Paleomagnetic data primarily constrain the reversal rate and provide few additional clues. Reversals and excursions are characterized by a low in dipole moment that can last for some 10kyr. Some paleomagnetic records also suggest that the field decreases much slower before an reversals than it recovers afterwards and that the recovery phase may show an overshoot in field intensity. Here we study the dipole moment variations in several extremely long dynamo simulation to statistically explored the reversal and excursion properties. The numerical reversals are characterized by a switch from a high axial dipole moment state to a low axial dipole moment state. When analysing the respective transitions we find that decay and growth have very similar time scales and that there is no overshoot. Other properties are generally similar to paleomagnetic findings. The dipole moment has to decrease to about 30% of its mean to allow for reversals. Grand excursions during which the field intensity drops by a comparable margin are very similar to reversals and likely have the same internal origin. The simulations suggest that both are simply triggered by particularly large axial dipole fluctuations while other field components remain largely unaffected. A model at a particularly large Ekman number shows a second but little Earth-like type of reversals where the total field decays and recovers after some time

Penetrative Convection in Partly Stratified Rapidly Rotating Spherical Shells

Celestial objects host interfaces between convective and stable stratified interior regions. The interaction between both, e.g., the transfer of heat, mass, or angular momentum depends on whether and how flows penetrate into the stable layer. Powered from the unstable, convective regions, radial flows can pierce into the stable region depending on their inertia (overshooting). In rapidly rotating systems, the dynamics are strongly influenced by the Coriolis force and radial flows penetrate in stratified regions due to the geostrophic invariance of columnar convection even in the limit of vanishing inertia. Within this study, we numerically investigate both mechanisms and hence explore the nature of penetrative convection in rapidly rotating spherical shells. The study covers a broad range of system parameters, such as the strength of the stratification relative to the Coriolis force or the inertia. Guided by the application to Saturn, we model a sandwiched stable stratified layer (SSL) surrounded by two convective zones. A comprehensive analysis of the damping behavior of convective flows at the edges of the SSL showed that the mean penetration depth is controlled by the ratio of stratified and unstratified buoyancy gradients and is hence independent of rotation. A scaling law is derived and suggests that the penetration depth decreases with the square root of the ratio of unstabilizing and stabilizing entropy gradients. The influence of the Coriolis force, however, is evident by a modulation of the penetration depth along latitude, since convective columns are elongated vertically and hence pierce predominantly into the SSL around mid-latitudes and outside the tangent cylinder. Our result also show that the penetration depth decreases linearly with the flow length scale (low pass filter), confirming predictions from the linear theory of rotating partially stratified convection

A hemispherical dynamo model : Implications for the Martian crustal magnetization

Mars Global Surveyor measurements revealed that the Martian crust is strongly magnetized in the southern hemisphere while the northern hemisphere is virtually void of magnetization. Two possible reasons have been suggested for this dichotomy: A once more or less homogeneously magnetization may have been destroyed in the northern hemisphere by, for example, resurfacing or impacts. The alternative theory we further explore here assumes that the dynamo itself produced a hemispherical field. We use numerical dynamo simulations to study under which conditions a spatial variation of the heat flux through the core-mantle boundary (CMB) may yield a strongly hemispherical surface field. We assume that the early Martian dynamo was exclusively driven by secular cooling and we mostly concentrate on a cosine CMB heat flux pattern with a minimum at the north pole, possibly caused by the impacts responsible for the northern lowlands. This pattern consistently triggers a convective mode which is dominated by equatorially anti-symmetric and axisymmetric (EAA) thermal winds. Convective up- and down-wellings and thus radial magnetic field production then tend to concentrate in the southern hemisphere which is still cooled efficiently while the northern hemisphere remains hot. The dynamo changes from an alpha^2- for a homogeneous CMB heat flux to an alpha-Omega-type in the hemispherical configuration. These dynamos reverse on time scales of about 10 kyrs. This too fast to allow for the more or less unidirectional magnetization of thick crustal layer required to explain the strong magnetization in the southern hemisphere

Reversal and amplification of zonal flows by boundary enforced thermal wind

Zonal flows in rapidly-rotating celestial objects such as the Sun, gas or ice giants form in a variety of surface patterns and amplitudes. Whereas the differential rotation on the Sun, Jupiter and Saturn features a super-rotating equatorial region, the ice giants, Neptune and Uranus harbour an equatorial jet slower than the planetary rotation. Global numerical models covering the optically thick, deep-reaching and rapidly rotating convective envelopes of gas giants reproduce successfully the prograde jet at the equator. In such models, convective columns shaped by the dominant Coriolis force typically exhibit a consistent prograde tilt. Hence angular momentum is pumped away from the rotation axis via Reynolds stresses. Those models are found to be strongly geostrophic, hence a modulation of the zonal flow structure along the axis of rotation, e.g. introduced by persistent latitudinal temperature gradients, seems of minor importance. Within our study we stimulate these thermal gradients and the resulting ageostrophic flows by applying an axisymmetric and equatorially symmetric outer boundary heat flux anomaly ($Y_{20}$) with variable amplitude and sign. Such a forcing pattern mimics the thermal effect of intense solar or stellar irradiation. Our results suggest that the ageostrophic flows are linearly amplified with the forcing amplitude $q^\star$ leading to a more pronounced dimple of the equatorial jet (alike Jupiter). The geostrophic flow contributions, however, are suppressed for weak $q^\star$, but inverted and re-amplified once $q^\star$ exceeds a critical value. The inverse geostrophic differential rotation is consistently maintained by now also inversely tilted columns and reminiscent of zonal flow profiles observed for the ice giants. Analysis of the main force balance and parameter studies further foster these results

Effects of a radially varying electrical conductivity on 3D numerical dynamos

The transition from liquid metal to silicate rock in the cores of the terrestrial planets is likely to be accompanied by a gradient in the composition of the outer core liquid. The electrical conductivity of a volatile enriched liquid alloy can be substantially lower than a light-element-depleted fluid found close to the inner core boundary. In this paper, we investigate the effect of radially variable electrical conductivity on planetary dynamo action using an electrical conductivity that decreases exponentially as a function of radius. We find that numerical solutions with continuous, radially outward decreasing electrical conductivity profiles result in strongly modified flow and magnetic field dynamics, compared to solutions with homogeneous electrical conductivity. The force balances at the top of the simulated fluid determine the overall character of the flow. The relationship between Coriolis and Lorentz forces near the outer boundary controls the flow and magnetic field intensity and morphology of the system. Our results imply that a low conductivity layer near the top of Mercury's liquid outer core is consistent with its weak magnetic field.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables. To be published in Physics of Earth and Planetary Interiors (PEPI)

Anelastic dynamo models with variable electrical conductivity: an application to gas giants

The observed surface dynamics of Jupiter and Saturn is dominated by a banded system of zonal winds. Their depth remains unclear but they are thought to be confined to the very outer envelopes where hydrogen remains molecular and the electrical conductivity is small. The dynamo maintaining the dipole-dominated magnetic fields of both gas giants likely operates in the deeper interior where hydrogen assumes a metallic state. Here, we present numerical simulations that attempt to model both the zonal winds and the interior dynamo action in an integrated approach. Using the anelastic version of the MHD code MagIC, we explore the effects of density stratification and radial electrical conductivity variation. The electrical conductivity is mostly assumed to remain constant in the thicker inner metallic region and it decays exponentially towards the outer boundary throughout the molecular envelope. Our results show that the combination of stronger density stratification and weaker conducting outer layer is essential for reconciling dipole dominated dynamo action and a fierce equatorial zonal jet. Previous simulations with homogeneous electrical conductivity show that both are merely exclusive, with solutions either having strong zonal winds and multipolar magnetic fields or weak zonal winds and dipole-dominated magnetic fields. All jets tend to be geostrophic and therefore reach right through the convective shell in our simulations. The particular setup explored here allows a strong equatorial jet to remain confined to the weaker conducting outer region where it does not interfere with the deeper seated dynamo action. The flanking mid to high latitude jets, on the other hand, have to remain faint to yield a strongly dipolar magnetic field. The fiercer jets on Jupiter and Saturn only seem compatible with the observed dipolar fields when they remain confined to a weaker conducting outer layer.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables, submitted to PEP

Linking Zonal Winds and Gravity II: explaining the equatorially antisymmetric gravity moments of Jupiter

The recent gravity field measurements of Jupiter (Juno) and Saturn (Cassini) confirm the existence of deep zonal flows reaching to a depth of 5\% and 15\% of the respective radius. Relating the zonal wind induced density perturbations to the gravity moments has become a major tool to characterise the interior dynamics of gas giants. Previous studies differ with respect to the assumptions made on how the wind velocity relates to density anomalies, on the functional form of its decay with depth, and on the continuity of antisymmetric winds across the equatorial plane. Most of the suggested vertical structures exhibit a rather smooth radial decay of the zonal wind, which seems at odds with the observed secular variation of the magnetic field and the prevailing geostrophy of the zonal winds. Moreover, the results relied on an artificial equatorial regularisation or ignored the equatorial discontinuity altogether. We favour an alternative structure, where the equatorially antisymmetric zonal wind in an equatorial latitude belt between $\pm 21^\circ$ remains so shallow that it does not contribute to the gravity signal. The winds at higher latitudes suffice to convincingly explain the measured gravity moments. Our results indicate that the winds are geostrophic, i.e. constant along cylinders, in the outer $3000\,$ km and decay rapidly below. The preferred wind structure is 50\% deeper than previously thought, agrees with the measured gravity moment, is compliant with the magnetic constraints and the requirement of an adiabatic atmosphere and unbiased by the treatment of the equatorial discontinuity

The Effects of a Stably Stratified Region with radially varying Electrical Conductivity on the Formation of Zonal Winds on Gas Planets

The outer areas of Jupiter and Saturn have multiple zonal winds, reaching the high latitudes, that penetrate deep into the planets' interiors, as suggested by gravity measurements. These characteristics are replicable in numerical simulations by including both a shallow stably stratified layer, below a convecting envelope, and increasing electrical conductivity. A dipolar magnetic field, assumed to be generated by a dynamo below our model, is imposed. We find that the winds' depth into the stratified layer depends on the local product of the squared magnetic field strength and electrical conductivity. The key for the drop-off of the zonal winds is a meridional circulation which perturbs the density structure in the stable layer. In the stable region its dynamics is governed by a balance between Coriolis and electromagnetic forces. Our models suggest that a stable layer extending into weakly conducting regions could account for the observed deep zonal wind structures.Comment: Accepted by JGR - Planet

Material Properties for the Interiors of Massive Giant Planets and Brown Dwarfs

We present thermodynamic material and transport properties for the extreme conditions prevalent in the interiors of massive giant planets and brown dwarfs. They are obtained from extensive \textit{ab initio} simulations of hydrogen-helium mixtures along the isentropes of three representative objects. In particular, we determine the heat capacities, the thermal expansion coefficient, the isothermal compressibility, and the sound velocity. Important transport properties such as the electrical and thermal conductivity, opacity, and shear viscosity are also calculated. Further results for associated quantities including magnetic and thermal diffusivity, kinematic shear viscosity, as well as the static Love number $k_2$ and the equidistance are presented. In comparison to Jupiter-mass planets, the behavior inside massive giant planets and brown dwarfs is stronger dominated by degenerate matter. We discuss the implications on possible dynamics and magnetic fields of those massive objects. The consistent data set compiled here may serve as starting point to obtain material and transport properties for other substellar H-He objects with masses above one Jovian mass and finally may be used as input for dynamo simulations