MSI

Abstract

These lectures will provide an introduction to the mathematics and physics underpinning research into solar and stellar dynamos. Here I will focus on the large scale fields generated in these stars.

In the first lecture I shall review the observations of large-scale magnetic activity in the Sun and other stars, including historical and proxy data. I shall then review the current paradigms for solar dynamo action discussing the physics behind both interface and flux transport dynamos

In the second lecture I shall review in detail the attempts to model solar and stellar dynamos, discussing large-scale computations, mean-field electrodynamics and illustrative low-order models. I shall discuss the limitations of each approach, and conclude by speculating on possible future avenues of research.