Speaker
Valentin Skoutnev
(Columbia University)
Description
Tayler instability of toroidal magnetic fields is broadly invoked as a trigger for turbulence and angular momentum transport in stars. I will discuss a recent systematic revision of the linear stability analysis. A new physical picture has merged where diffusive processes enable instability by causing the overstability of two classes of waves: inertial waves and magnetostrophic waves. The new instability criteria implemented in the 1d stellar evolution code MESA reveals that the Tayler instability is suppressed in compositionally stratified regions of low mass stars. This suggests that the possible Tayler-Spruit dynamo may not be able to explain efficient core-envelope coupling.
Primary author
Valentin Skoutnev
(Columbia University)
Co-author
Dr
Andrei Beloborodov
(Columbia University, MPA)
