Resistive and ferritic-wall plasma dynamos in a sphere

We numerically study the effects of varying electric conductivity and magnetic permeability of the bounding wall on a kinematic dynamo in a sphere for parameters relevant to Madison plasma dynamo experiment (MPDX). The dynamo is excited by a laminar, axisymmetric flow of von Karman type. The flow is obtained as a solution to the Navier-Stokes equation for an isothermal fluid with a velocity profile specified at the sphere's boundary. The properties of the wall are taken into account as thin-wall boundary conditions imposed on the magnetic field. It is found that an increase in the permeability of the wall reduces the critical magnetic Reynolds number Rm_cr. An increase in the conductivity of the wall leaves Rm_cr unaffected, but reduces the dynamo growth rate.

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