MULTIPLE FAR-SUPERCRITICAL SOLUTIONS FOR AN ALPHA-LAMBDA-DYNAMO

We compute numerical solutions for axisymmetric, dynamically consisten t mean-field dynamos in a spherical shell of conducting incompressible fluid. In the process of investigating the stability properties of so lutions in the far-supercritical regime we found an unusual behaviour, with the magnetic energy decreasing discontinuously as the dynamo num ber is increased. A new stable solution with a more complicated field geometry emerges. In addition, a stable mixed parity state occurs at t he discontinuity of the magnetic energy, between the two branches of s table pure parity solutions. For a given dynamo number there may be as many as four metastable solutions.