A16 Origin and structure of magnetic fields in cool stars

Dr. Ansgar Reiners, Prof. Dr. Manfred Schüssler

The origin of cool star magnetic fields and their effects on stellar atmospheres, planet formation, and planetary companions are long-standing open problems. The generation of magnetic flux in electrically conducting fluids in turbulent motion is of fundamental importance for understanding magneto-hydrodynamic turbulence at large Reynolds numbers. We propose an interdisciplinary approach to address the astrophysical and turbulence aspects of stellar surface magnetism by using radiative MHD simulations of near-surface stellar magnetoconvection on the one hand, and by obtaining reliable quantitative observations of magnetic fields in stars from sun-like to very-low mass stars on the other.