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We consider one-level additive Schwarz preconditioners for a family of Helmholtz problems with absorption and increasing wavenumber $k$. These problems are discretized using the Galerkin method with nodal conforming finite elements of any (fixed) order on meshes with diameter $h = h(k)$, chosen to maintain accuracy as $k$ increases. The action of the preconditioner requires solution of independent (parallel) subproblems (with impedance boundary conditions) on overlapping subdomains of diameter $H$ and overlap $\delta\leq H$. The solutions of these subproblems are linked together using prolongation/restriction operators defined using a partition of unity. In numerical experiments (with $\delta \sim H$) for a model interior impedance problem, we observe robust (i.e. $k-$independent) GMRES convergence as $k$ increases. This provides a highly-parallel, $k-$robust one-level domain decomposition method. We provide supporting theory by studying the preconditioner applied to a range of absorptive problems, $k^2\mapsto k^2+ \mathrm{i} \varepsilon$, with absorption parameter $\varepsilon$. Working in the Helmholtz ``energy'' inner product, and using the underlying theory of Helmholtz boundary-value problems, we prove a $k-$independent upper bound on the norm of the preconditioned matrix, valid for all $\vert \varepsilon\vert \lesssim k^2$. We also prove a strictly-positive lower bound on the distance of the field of values of the preconditioned matrix from the origin which holds when $\varepsilon/k$ is constant or growing arbitrarily slowly with $k$. These results imply robustness of the preconditioner for the corresponding absorptive problem as k increases and give theoretical support for the observed robustness of the preconditioner for the pure Helmholtz problem.

We prove well-posedness results and a priori bounds on the solution of the Helmholtz equation $\nabla\cdot(A\nabla u) + k^2 n u = -f$, posed either in $\mathbb{R}^d$ or in the exterior of a star-shaped Lipschitz obstacle, for a class of random $A$ and $n,$ random data $f$, and for all $k>0$. The particular class of $A$ and $n$ and the conditions on the obstacle ensure that the problem is nontrapping almost surely. These are the first well-posedness results and a priori bounds for the stochastic Helmholtz equation for arbitrarily large $k$ and for $A$ and $n$ varying independently of $k$. These results are obtained by combining recent bounds on the Helmholtz equation for deterministic $A$ and $n$ and general arguments (i.e. not specific to the Helmholtz equation) presented in this paper for proving a priori bounds and well-posedness of variational formulations of linear elliptic stochastic PDEs. We emphasise that these general results do not rely on either the Lax-Milgram theorem or Fredholm theory, since neither are applicable to the stochastic variational formulation of the Helmholtz equation., Comment: 36 pages, 2 figures

In this paper we present an overview of recent progress on the development and analysis of domain decomposition preconditioners for discretised Helmholtz problems, where the preconditioner is constructed from the corresponding problem with added absorption. Our preconditioners incorporate local subproblems that can have various boundary conditions, and include the possibility of a global coarse mesh. While the rigorous analysis describes preconditioners for the Helmholtz problem with added absorption, this theory also informs the development of efficient multilevel solvers for the "pure" Helmholtz problem without absorption. For this case, 2D experiments for problems containing up to about $50$ wavelengths are presented. The experiments show iteration counts of order about $\mathcal{O}(n^{0.2})$ and times (on a serial machine) of order about $\mathcal{O}(n^{\alpha})$, { with $\alpha \in [1.3,1.4]$} for solving systems of dimension $n$. This holds both in the pollution-free case corresponding to meshes with grid size $\mathcal{O}(k^{-3/2})$ (as the wavenumber $k$ increases), and also for discretisations with a fixed number of grid points per wavelength, commonly used in applications. Parallelisation of the algorithms is also briefly discussed., Comment: To appear in: Modern Solvers for Helmholtz problems edited by D. Lahaye, J. Tang and C. Vuik, Springer Geosystems Mathematics series, 2016

We numerically study the effects of varying electric conductivity and magnetic permeability of the bounding wall on a kinematic dynamo in a sphere for parameters relevant to Madison plasma dynamo experiment (MPDX). The dynamo is excited by a laminar, axisymmetric flow of von Karman type. The flow is obtained as a solution to the Navier-Stokes equation for an isothermal fluid with a velocity profile specified at the sphere's boundary. The properties of the wall are taken into account as thin-wall boundary conditions imposed on the magnetic field. It is found that an increase in the permeability of the wall reduces the critical magnetic Reynolds number Rm_cr. An increase in the conductivity of the wall leaves Rm_cr unaffected, but reduces the dynamo growth rate.

We propose a plasma experiment to be used to investigate fundamental properties of astrophysical dynamos. The highly conducting, fast-flowing plasma will allow experimenters to explore systems with magnetic Reynolds numbers an order of magnitude larger than those accessible with liquid-metal experiments. The plasma is confined using a ring-cusp strategy and subject to a toroidal differentially rotating outer boundary condition. As proof of principle, we present magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the proposed experiment. When a von K\'arm\'an-type boundary condition is specified, and the magnetic Reynolds number is large enough, dynamo action is observed. At different values of the magnetic Prandtl and Reynolds numbers the simulations demonstrate either laminar or turbulent dynamo action.

The nature of Ohm's law is examined in a turbulent flow of liquid sodium. A magnetic field is applied to the flowing sodium, and the resulting magnetic field is measured. The mean velocity field of the sodium is also measured in an identical-scale water model of the experiment. These two fields are used to determine the terms in Ohm's law, indicating the presence of currents driven by a turbulent electromotive force. These currents result in a diamagnetic effect, generating magnetic field in opposition to the dominant fields of the experiment. The magnitude of the fluctuation-driven magnetic field is comparable to that of the field induced by the sodium's mean flow.

The magnetic field measured in the Madison Dynamo Experiment shows intermittent periods of growth when an axial magnetic field is applied. The geometry of the intermittent field is consistent with the fastest growing magnetic eigenmode predicted by kinematic dynamo theory using a laminar model of the mean flow. Though the eigenmodes of the mean flow are decaying, it is postulated that turbulent fluctuations of the velocity field change the flow geometry such that the eigenmode growth rate is temporarily positive. Therefore, it is expected that a characteristic of the onset of a turbulent dynamo is magnetic intermittency., Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures

The role of turbulence in current generation and self-excitation of magnetic fields has been studied in the geometry of a mechanically driven, spherical dynamo experiment, using a three dimensional numerical computation. A simple impeller model drives a flow which can generate a growing magnetic field, depending upon the magnetic Reynolds number, Rm, and the fluid Reynolds number. When the flow is laminar, the dynamo transition is governed by a simple threshold in Rm, above which a growing magnetic eigenmode is observed. The eigenmode is primarily a dipole field tranverse to axis of symmetry of the flow. In saturation the Lorentz force slows the flow such that the magnetic eigenmode becomes marginally stable. For turbulent flow, the dynamo eigenmode is suppressed. The mechanism of suppression is due to a combination of a time varying large-scale field and the presence of fluctuation driven currents which effectively enhance the magnetic diffusivity. For higher Rm a dynamo reappears, however the structure of the magnetic field is often different from the laminar dynamo; it is dominated by a dipolar magnetic field which is aligned with the axis of symmetry of the mean-flow, apparently generated by fluctuation-driven currents. The fluctuation-driven currents have been studied by applying a weak magnetic field to laminar and turbulent flows. The magnetic fields generated by the fluctuations are significant: a dipole moment aligned with the symmetry axis of the mean-flow is generated similar to those observed in the experiment, and both toroidal and poloidal flux expulsion are observed., Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures

An axisymmetric magnetic field is applied to a spherical, turbulent flow of liquid sodium. An induced magnetic dipole moment is measured which cannot be generated by the interaction of the axisymmetric mean flow with the applied field, indicating the presence of a turbulent electromotive force. It is shown that the induced dipole moment should vanish for any axisymmetric laminar flow. Also observed is the production of toroidal magnetic field from applied poloidal magnetic field (the omega-effect). Its potential role in the production of the induced dipole is discussed., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures Revisions to accomodate peer-reviewer concerns; changes to main text including simplification of a proof, Fig. 2 updated, and minor typos and clarifications; Added refrences. Resubmitted to Phys. Rev. Lett

Initial results from the Madison Dynamo Experiment provide details of the inductive response of a turbulent flow of liquid sodium to an applied magnetic field. The magnetic field structure is reconstructed from both internal and external measurements. A mean toroidal magnetic field is induced by the flow when an axial field is applied, thereby demonstrating the omega effect. Poloidal magnetic flux is expelled from the fluid by the poloidal flow. Small-scale magnetic field structures are generated by turbulence in the flow. The resulting magnetic power spectrum exhibits a power-law scaling consistent with the equipartition of the magnetic field with a turbulent velocity field. The magnetic power spectrum has an apparent knee at the resistive dissipation scale. Large-scale eddies in the flow cause significant changes to the instantaneous flow profile resulting in intermittent bursts of non-axisymmetric magnetic fields, demonstrating that the transition to a dynamo is not smooth for a turbulent flow., Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, invited talk by C. B. Forest at 2005 APS DPP meeting, resubmitted to Physics of Plasmas