On a Physically Realistic Fast Dynamo

As a step towards a physically realistic model of a fast dynamo, we study numerically a kinematic dynamo driven by convection in a rapidly rotating cylindrical annulus. Convection maintains the quasi-geostrophic balance whilst developing more complicated time-dependence as the Rayleigh number is increased. We incorporate the effects of Ekman suction and investigate dynamo action resulting from a chaotic flow obtained in this manner. We examine the growth rate as a function of magnetic Prandtl number Pm, which is proportional to the magnetic Reynolds number. Even for the largest value of Pm considered, a clearly identifiable asymptotic behaviour is not established. Nevertheless the available evidence strongly suggests a fast dynamo process.