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We solve the Navier-Stokes equations with two simultaneous forcings. One forcing is applied at a given large scale and it injects energy. The other forcing is applied at all scales belonging to the inertial range and it injects helicity. In this way we can vary the degree of turbulence helicity from nonhelical to maximally helical. We find that increasing the rate of helicity injection does not change the energy flux. On the other hand, the level of total energy is strongly increased and the energy spectrum gets steeper. The energy spectrum spans from a Kolmogorov scaling law k^{-5/3} for a nonhelical turbulence, to a non-Kolmogorov scaling law k^{-7/3} for a maximally helical turbulence. In the latter case we find that the characteristic time of the turbulence is not the turnover time but a time based on the helicity injection rate. We also analyze the results in terms of helical modes decomposition. For a maximally helical turbulence one type of helical mode is found to be much more energetic than the other one, by several orders of magnitude. The energy cascade of the most energetic type of helical mode results from the sum of two fluxes. One flux is negative and can be understood in terms of a decimated model. This negative flux, however, is not sufficient to lead an inverse energy cascade. Indeed, the other flux involving the least energetic type of helical mode is positive and the largest. The least energetic type of helical mode is then essential and cannot be neglected.

The energy spectral density E(k), where k is the spatial wave number, is a well-known diagnostic of homogeneous turbulence and magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. However, in most of the curves plotted by different authors, some systematic kinks can be observed at k=9, 15, and 19. We claim that these kinks have no physical meaning and are in fact the signature of the method that is used to estimate E(k) from a three-dimensional spatial grid. In this paper we give another method in order to get rid of the spurious kinks and to estimate E(k) much more accurately.

The free decay of a strong flow of liquid sodium (at Reynolds number defined via the maximal mean velocity and the radius of the channel cross section up to Re≈3×10(60) and the corresponding magnetic Reynolds number up to Rm≈30) generated by the sudden stop of a rapidly rotating toroidal channel is studied experimentally. The toroidal and poloidal components of velocity are measured using a potential probe. We describe the onset of motion, the evolution of strongly anisotropic fluctuations, and the homogenization and decay of turbulence in the final period. We analyze the statistical characteristics of velocity fields in relation to the behavior of effective magnetic diffusivity estimated from measurements of the phase shift between the induced and applied magnetic fields. For the late (self-similar) decay of turbulent flow, turbulent viscosity is shown to be dependent on the root-mean-square velocity pulsations and can be expressed as νt∼νRe1.3. The behavior of turbulent magnetic diffusivity depends on the magnetic Reynolds number defined in terms of the root-mean-square velocity pulsations. At low magnetic Reynolds numbers (Rmrms<1), turbulent magnetic diffusivity grows rapidly with increasing velocity pulsations (ηt∼ηRmrms2). If the magnetic Reynolds number exceeds unity, the behavior of turbulent magnetic diffusivity becomes similar to the behavior of turbulent viscosity. The highest values of turbulent magnetic diffusivity are achieved at the end of braking, which corresponds to the transient stage of a strongly anisotropic turbulent flow in which the poloidal velocity oscillations prevail.

A phenomenology of isotropic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence subject to both rotation and applied magnetic field is presented. It is assumed that the triple correlation decay time is the shortest between the eddy turn-over time and the ones associated to the rotating frequency and the Alfvén wave period. For Pm=1 it leads to four kinds of piecewise spectra, depending on four parameters: injection rate of energy, magnetic diffusivity, rotation rate, and applied field. With a shell model of MHD turbulence (including rotation and applied magnetic field), spectra for Pm ≤ 1 are presented, together with the ratio between magnetic and viscous dissipations.

We demonstrate that flows of conducting fluid along a Möbius strip and related surfaces are hydromagnetic dynamos, i.e., they can produce an exponentially growing magnetic field from an infinitesimal seed. The critical magnetic Reynolds number in one of our models is as low as about 16. Together with other attractive features, this makes this flow an interesting candidate for a laboratory dynamo experiment.

The evolution of the large-scale magnetic field in a turbulent flow of conducting fluid is considered in the framework of a multiscale alpha2-dynamo model, which includes the poloidal and the toroidal components for the large-scale magnetic field and a shell model for the small-scale magnetohydrodynamical turbulence. The conjugation of the mean-field description for the large-scale field and the shell formalism for the small-scale turbulence is based on strict conformity to the conservation laws. The model displays a substantial magnetic contribution to the alpha effect. It was shown that a large-scale magnetic field can be generated by current helicity even solely. The alpha quenching and the role of the magnetic Prandtl number (Pm) are studied. We have determined the dynamic nature of the saturation mechanism of dynamo action. Any simultaneous cross correlation of alpha and large-scale magnetic field energy EB is negligible, whereas coupling between alpha and EB becomes substantial for moderate time lags. An unexpected result is the behavior of the large-scale magnetic energy with variation of the magnetic Prandtl number. Diminishing of Pm does not have an inevitable ill effect on the magnetic field generation. The most efficient large-scale dynamo operates under relatively low Prandtl numbers--then the small-scale dynamo is suppressed and the decrease of Pm can lead even to superequipartition of the large-scale magnetic field (i.e., EB>Eu). In contrast, the growth of Pm does not promote the large-scale magnetic field generation. A growing counteraction of the magnetic alpha effect reduces the level of mean large-scale magnetic energy at the saturated state.

The mean electromotive force caused by turbulence of an electrically conducting fluid, which plays a central part in mean-field electrodynamics, is calculated for a rotating fluid. Going beyond most of the investigations on this topic, an additional mean motion in the rotating frame is taken into account. One motivation for our investigation originates from a planned laboratory experiment with a Ponomarenko-type dynamo. In view of this application the second-order correlation approximation is used. The investigation is of high interest in astrophysical context, too. Some contributions to the mean electromotive are revealed which have not been considered so far, in particular contributions to the effect and related effects due to the gradient of the mean velocity. Their relevance for dynamo processes is discussed. In a forthcoming paper the results reported here will be specified to the situation in the laboratory and partially compared with experimental findings.

The kinematic dynamo problem is investigated for the flow of a conducting fluid in a cylindrical, periodic tube with conducting walls. The methods used are an eigenvalue analysis of the steady regime, and the three-dimensional solution of the time-dependent induction equation. The configuration and parameters considered here are close to those of a dynamo experiment planned in Perm, which will use a torus-shaped channel. We find growth of an initial magnetic field by more than three orders of magnitude. A marked field growth can be obtained if the braking time is less than 0.2 s and only one diverter is used in the channel. The structure of the seed field has a strong impact on the field amplification factor. Generation properties can be improved by adding ferromagnetic particles to the fluid in order to increase its relative permeability, but this will not be necessary for the success of the dynamo experiment. For higher magnetic Reynolds numbers, the nontrivial evolution of different magnetic modes limits the value of simple "optimistic" and "pessimistic" estimates.