A growing dynamo from a saturated Roberts flow dynamo

Using direct simulations, weakly non-linear theory and non-linear mean-field theory, it is shown that the quenched velocity field of a saturated non-linear dynamo can itself act as a kinematic dynamo. The flow is driven by a forcing function that would produce a Roberts flow in the absence of a magnetic field. This result confirms an analogous finding by Cattaneo & Tobias for the more complicated case of turbulent convection, suggesting that this may be a common property of non-linear dynamos; see also the talk given online at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (http://online.kitp.ucsb.edu/online/dynamo_c08/cattaneo). It is argued that this property can be used to test non-linear mean-field dynamo theories.