
doi: 10.1086/589825 , 10.17615/gapv-s345
The turnover of interstellar gas on ∼ 109 yr timescales argues for the continuous operation of a galactic dynamo. The conductivity of interstellar gas is so high that the dynamo must be "fast"; i.e., the magnetic field must be amplified at a rate nearly independent of the magnetic diffusivity. Yet all the fast dynamos so far known, and all direct numerical simulations of interstellar dynamos, yield magnetic power spectra that peak at the resistive scale, while galactic magnetic fields have substantial power on large scales. In this paper we show that in weakly ionized gas the limiting scale may be the ion-neutral decoupling scale, which, although still small, is many orders of magnitude larger than the resistive scale.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 5 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
