NONLINEAR MULTI-CELLULAR FAST DYNAMOS

We investigate the kinematic and dynamic dynamos that result when the magnetic field is assumed to be spatially periodic on a scale twice th at of the periodicity of the underlying driving velocity, the ''CP flo w'' of Galloway and Proctor (1992). In the kinematic regime four disti nct modes are possible; all appear to exhibit fast dynamo action. In t he nonlinear regime mode coupling may occur and different saturated st ates are possible for the same parameter values.