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A heteroclinic model of geodynamo reversals and excursions. (English) Zbl 1002.76130

Chossat, P. (ed.) et al., Dynamo and dynamics, a mathematical challenge. Proceedings of the NATO advanced research workshop, Cargèse, France, August 21-26, 2000. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. NATO Sci. Ser. II, Math. Phys. Chem. 26, 363-370 (2001).
Summary: The Earth’s magnetic field is by and large a steady dipole, but its history has been punctuated by intermittent excursions and reversals. This is at least superficially similar to the behaviour of differential equations containing structurally stable heteroclinic cycles. We present a model of geodynamo that is based on the symmetries of velocity fields in a rotating spherical shell, and that contains such a cycle. Patterns of excursions and reversals that resemble the geomagnetic record can be obtained by introducing small symmetry-breaking terms.
For the entire collection see [Zbl 0973.00055].

MSC:

76W05 Magnetohydrodynamics and electrohydrodynamics
86A25 Geo-electricity and geomagnetism
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