Nonlinear planetary dynamos in a rotating spherical shell. II. The post-Taylor equilibration for α²-dynamos

The magnetic field of a rapidly rotating α2 dynamo is computed in a spherical shell as a function of Reynolds and Ekman numbers. It is found that at high enough Reynolds number a Taylor state is reached, after which the solution becomes inviscid. This result confirms the recent work of Hollerbach and Ierley (1991) in a full sphere.