Exploring the P
vs. P
relation with flux transport dynamo models of solar-like stars
1
Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Université Paris Diderot,
IRFU/SAp, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France e-mail: sacha.brun@cea.fr
2
D.A.M.T.P., Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB03 0WA, UK
3
JILA and Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0440, USA
Received:
11
August
2009
Accepted:
5
November
2009
Aims. Understand stellar magnetism and test the validity of the Babcock-Leighton flux transport mean field dynamo models with stellar activity observations
Methods. 2-D mean field dynamo models at various rotation rates are computed with the STELEM code to study the sensitivity of the activity cycle period and butterfly diagram to parameter changes and are compared to observational data. The novelty is that these 2-D mean field dynamo models incorporate scaling laws deduced from 3-D hydrodynamical simulations for the influence of rotation rate on the amplitude and profile of the meridional circulation. These models make also use of observational scaling laws for the variation of differential rotation with rotation rate.
Results. We find that Babcock-Leighton flux transport dynamo models are able to reproduce the change in
topology of the magnetic field (i.e. toward being more toroidal with increasing rotation rate) but
seem to have difficulty reproducing the cycle period vs activity period correlation observed in solar-like stars if a monolithic
single cell meridional flow is assumed. It may however be possible to recover the 
vs. 
relation with more complex meridional flows,
if the profile changes in a particular assumed manner with rotation rate.
Conclusions. The Babcock-Leighton flux transport dynamo model based on single cell meridional circulation does not
reproduce the vs. relation unless the amplitude of the meridional circulation is assumed to increase
with rotation rate which seems to be in contradiction with recent results obtained with 3-D global simulations.
Key words: magnetohydrodynamics / stars: activity / stars: magnetic fields / Sun: activity / methods: numerical
© ESO, 2010