Tobias SCHWAIGER

A dynamo process operating in the liquid part of the Earth’s core generates the Earth’s magnetic field. My PhD project focuses on studying this mechanism using numerical simulations. The physical relevance of such dynamo models, however, is subject to discussion due to limited computational resources at present-day, which require the use of unrealistic input parameters (most importantly overestimation of viscosity). By performing a series of dynamo simulations over a wide range of parameters, I will systematically study the force balance that controls the dynamo process. To this end, I will develop new tools and diagnostics to characterise the solutions. The ultimate goal will be to better identify parameter regimes which are physically relevant to the conditions of the Earth despite the inherent limitations of the models.