Magnetic field on Sun and planets, its importance for life

Aurora on Jupiter - a footprint of magnetic field and dynamo action (HST image).

Conducting layer metallic liquid hydrogen, below 0.8 of Jupiter radius

Energy for turbulent motions internal heat

Saturn  aurora photographed around both poles by the Hubble Telescope

Conducting layer metallic liquid hydrogen, below 0.3 R

Energy helium rain + internal heat

The Sun - magnetic fields created in the convection layer are known to influence many processes in the outher layers, like the activity cycle.

Earths magnetic fields are similar to that of a bar magnetet - it has two poles and is known a dipole magnetic field (Fig. on the left, from).

The dynamo on the Earth is generated in the liquid core (Fig. on the left, J. Louile). The convective motions and the core rotation give the necessary ingredients to the geodynamo.

Computer simulation of geodynamo (Nature 1996, 379, 436)

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