Magnetic-field generation in helical turbulence

Abstract

We investigate analytically the amplification of a weak magnetic field in a homogeneous and isotropic turbulent flow lacking reflectional symmetry (helical turbulence). We propose that the spectral distributions of magnetic energy and magnetic helicity can be found as eigenmodes of a self-adjoint, Schrödinger-type system of evolution equations. We argue that large-scale and small-scale magnetic fluctuations cannot be effectively separated, and that the conventional alpha-model is, in general, not an adequate description of the large-scale dynamo mechanism. As a consequence, the correct numerical modeling of such processes should resolve magnetic fluctuations down to the very small, resistive scales.