Solar-like dynamos and rotational scaling of cycles from star-in-a-box simulations

Abstract

Magnetohydrodynamic star-in-a-box simulations of convection and dynamos in a solar-like star with different rotation rates are presented. These simulations produce solar-like differential rotation with a fast equator and slow poles, and magnetic activity that resembles that of the Sun with equatorward migrating activity at the surface. Furthermore, the ratio of rotation to cycle period is almost constant as the rotation period decreases in the limited sample considered here. This is reminiscent of the suggested inactive branch of stars from observations and differs from most earlier simulation results from spherical shell models. While the exact excitation mechanism of the dynamos in the current simulations is not yet clear, it is plausible that the greater freedom that the magnetic field has due to the inclusion of the radiative core and regions exterior to the star are important in shaping the dynamo.