Shear dynamo problem: quasilinear kinematic theory

Abstract

Large-scale dynamo action due to turbulence in the presence of a linear shear flow is studied. Our treatment is quasilinear and kinematic but is nonperturbative in the shear strength. We derive the integrodifferential equation for the evolution of the mean magnetic field by systematic use of the shearing coordinate transformation and the Galilean invariance of the linear shear flow. For nonhelical turbulence the time evolution of the cross-shear components of the mean field does not depend on any other components excepting themselves. This is valid for any Galilean-invariant velocity field, independent of its dynamics. Hence the shear-current assisted dynamo is essentially absent, although large-scale nonhelical dynamo action is not ruled out.