Rotation and magnetism of solar-like stars: From scaling laws to spot-dynamos

Abstract

The Sun is the archetype of magnetic star and its proximity coupled with very high accuracy observations has helped us understanding how solar-like stars (e.g with a convective envelope) redistribute angular momentum and generate a cyclic magnetic field. However most solar models have been so fine tuned that when they are applied to other solar-like stars the agreement with observations is not good enough. I will thus discuss, based on theoretical considerations and multi-D MHD stellar models, what can be considered as robust properties of solar-like star dynamics and magnetism and what is still speculative. I will derive scaling laws for differential rotation and magnetic energy as a function of stellar parameters, discuss recent results of stellar dynamo models and define the new concept of spot-dynamo, e.g. global dynamo that develops self-consistent magnetic buoyant structures that emerge at the surface. © International Astronomical Union 2014.