Dynamic regimes in planetary cores: $\tau $–$\ell $ diagrams

Planetary cores are the seat of rich and complex fluid dynamics, in which the effects of rotation and magnetic field combine. The equilibria governing the strength of the magnetic field produced by the dynamo effect, the organisation and amplitude of the flow, and those of the density field, remain...

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Main Authors: Nataf, Henri-Claude, Schaeffer, Nathanaël
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Académie des sciences 2024-05-01
Series:Comptes Rendus. Géoscience
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Online Access:https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/geoscience/articles/10.5802/crgeos.256/
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author Nataf, Henri-Claude
Schaeffer, Nathanaël
author_facet Nataf, Henri-Claude
Schaeffer, Nathanaël
author_sort Nataf, Henri-Claude
collection DOAJ
description Planetary cores are the seat of rich and complex fluid dynamics, in which the effects of rotation and magnetic field combine. The equilibria governing the strength of the magnetic field produced by the dynamo effect, the organisation and amplitude of the flow, and those of the density field, remain debated despite remarkable progress made in their numerical simulation. This paper describes an approach based on the explicit consideration of the variation of time scales $\tau $ with spatial scales $\ell $ for the different physical phenomena involved. The $\tau $–$\ell $ diagrams thus constructed constitute a very complete graphic summary of the dynamics of the object under study. We highlight the role of the available convective power in controlling this dynamics, together with the relevant force balance, for which we derive a very telling $\tau $–$\ell $ translation. Several scenarios are constructed and discussed for the Earth’s core, shedding new light on the width of convective columns, and on the force equilibria to be considered. A QG-MAC scenario adapted from [Aubert, 2019] gives a good account of the observations. A diversion to Venus reveals the subtlety and relativity of the notion of “fast rotator”. We discuss scaling laws and their validity domain, and illustrate “path strategies”. A complete toolbox is provided, allowing everyone to construct a $\tau $–$\ell $ diagram of a numerical simulation, a laboratory experiment, a theory, or a natural object.
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spelling doaj-art-2fe5f7461c9a4ccb8a8b6b99bb8447092025-02-07T10:41:12ZengAcadémie des sciencesComptes Rendus. Géoscience1778-70252024-05-01356G113010.5802/crgeos.25610.5802/crgeos.256Dynamic regimes in planetary cores: $\tau $–$\ell $ diagramsNataf, Henri-Claude0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6737-1314Schaeffer, Nathanaël1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5206-3394Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Gustave Eiffel, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, FranceUniv. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Gustave Eiffel, ISTerre, 38000 Grenoble, FrancePlanetary cores are the seat of rich and complex fluid dynamics, in which the effects of rotation and magnetic field combine. The equilibria governing the strength of the magnetic field produced by the dynamo effect, the organisation and amplitude of the flow, and those of the density field, remain debated despite remarkable progress made in their numerical simulation. This paper describes an approach based on the explicit consideration of the variation of time scales $\tau $ with spatial scales $\ell $ for the different physical phenomena involved. The $\tau $–$\ell $ diagrams thus constructed constitute a very complete graphic summary of the dynamics of the object under study. We highlight the role of the available convective power in controlling this dynamics, together with the relevant force balance, for which we derive a very telling $\tau $–$\ell $ translation. Several scenarios are constructed and discussed for the Earth’s core, shedding new light on the width of convective columns, and on the force equilibria to be considered. A QG-MAC scenario adapted from [Aubert, 2019] gives a good account of the observations. A diversion to Venus reveals the subtlety and relativity of the notion of “fast rotator”. We discuss scaling laws and their validity domain, and illustrate “path strategies”. A complete toolbox is provided, allowing everyone to construct a $\tau $–$\ell $ diagram of a numerical simulation, a laboratory experiment, a theory, or a natural object.https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/geoscience/articles/10.5802/crgeos.256/Turbulencetau–ellDynamoCoreConvection
spellingShingle Nataf, Henri-Claude
Schaeffer, Nathanaël
Dynamic regimes in planetary cores: $\tau $–$\ell $ diagrams
Comptes Rendus. Géoscience
Turbulence
tau–ell
Dynamo
Core
Convection
title Dynamic regimes in planetary cores: $\tau $–$\ell $ diagrams
title_full Dynamic regimes in planetary cores: $\tau $–$\ell $ diagrams
title_fullStr Dynamic regimes in planetary cores: $\tau $–$\ell $ diagrams
title_full_unstemmed Dynamic regimes in planetary cores: $\tau $–$\ell $ diagrams
title_short Dynamic regimes in planetary cores: $\tau $–$\ell $ diagrams
title_sort dynamic regimes in planetary cores tau ell diagrams
topic Turbulence
tau–ell
Dynamo
Core
Convection
url https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/geoscience/articles/10.5802/crgeos.256/
work_keys_str_mv AT natafhenriclaude dynamicregimesinplanetarycorestauelldiagrams
AT schaeffernathanael dynamicregimesinplanetarycorestauelldiagrams