Planetary Dynamos

research

Planets that generate (or once generated) their own magnetic fields do so through a dynamo: convective motion of an electrically conducting fluid in their interior. Observed fields are rarely simple dipoles, though. I’ve used 3D dynamo simulations to explain Mars’ lopsided ancient field, reproduced by imposing a hemispheric heat flux variation at the core-mantle boundary, and to help constrain the interiors of Jupiter and Saturn, whose dilute “fuzzy” cores and stably stratified layers must be included to reproduce their observed fields.

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Dynamos