Paper detail

Physically motivated heat conduction treatment in simulations of solar-like stars: effects on dynamo transitions

Context. Results from global magnetoconvection simulations of solar-like stars are at odds with observations in many respects: They show a surplus of energy in the kinetic power spectrum at large scales, anti-solar differential rotation profiles, with accelerated poles and a slow equator, for the solar rotation rate, and a transition from axi- to non-axisymmetric dynamos at a much lower rotation rate than what is observed. Even though the simulations reproduce the observed active longitudes in fast rotators, their motion in the rotational frame (the so-called azimuthal dynamo wave, ADW) is retrograde, in contrast to the prevalent prograde motion in observations. Aims. We study the effect of a more realistic treatment of heat conductivity in alleviating the discrepancies between observations and simulations. Methods. We use physically-motivated heat conduction, by applying Kramers opacity law, on a semi-global spherical setup describing convective envelopes of solar-like stars, instead of a prescribed heat conduction profile from mixing-length arguments. Results. We find that some aspects of the results now better correspond to observations: The axi- to non-axisymmetric transition point is shifted towards higher rotation rates. We also find a change in the propagation direction of ADWs so that also prograde waves are now found. The transition from anti-solar to solar-like rotation profile, however, is also shifted towards higher rotation rates, leaving the models into an even more unrealistic regime. Conclusions. Although a Kramers-based heat conduction does not help in reproducing the solar rotation profile, it does help in the faster rotation regime, where the dynamo solutions now match better with observations.