A comparison between grid and particle methods on the small-scale dynamo in magnetized supersonic turbulence

Abstract

We perform a comparison between the smoothed particle magnetohydrodynamics (SPMHD) code, phantom, and the Eulerian grid-based code, flash, on the small-scale turbulent dynamo in driven, Mach 10 turbulence. We show, for the first time, that the exponential growth and saturation of an initially weak magnetic field via the small-scale dynamo can be successfully reproduced with SPMHD. The two codes agree on the behaviour of the magnetic energy spectra, the saturation level of magnetic energy, and the distribution of magnetic field strengths during the growth and saturation phases. The main difference is that the dynamo growth rate, and its dependence on resolution, differs between the codes, caused by differences in the numerical dissipation and shock capturing schemes leading to differences in the effective Prandtl number in phantom and flash.