Search for non-helical disc dynamos in simulations

The origin of large scale magnetic fields in accretion discs is investigated. Using global three-dimensional simulations of accretion disc turbulence, a recent suggestion of Vishniac & Cho (2001, ApJ 550, 752) is re-examined, according to which large scale fields in accretion discs could be understood without explicitly invoking the usual helicity effect. Particular emphasis is placed on a certain correlation between vorticity and azimuthal velocity gradient which has been predicted to drive large scale dynamo action, independent of the presence or absence of kinetic helicity. In the global disc simulations two types of behaviours are found: those which do show this type of velocity correlation and those which do not. The former ones are typically also the cases where the resistivity is larger. The latter ones show signs typical of dynamo action based on the usual helicity effect. In the idealized simulations without rotation and just shear the above correlation is found to be particularly strong. In both cases there is, as expected, a systematic flux of magnetic helicity through the midplane. However, very little magnetic helicity leaves the domain through the top and bottom boundaries. The idealized simulations reveal that much of this systematic flux comes from the rotational component of the helicity flux and does not contribute to its divergence.