Magnetic fields of Ap stars as a result of the Tayler instability

Abstract

AbstractAp star magnetism is often attributed to fossil magnetic fields which have not changed much since the pre‐main‐sequence epoch of the stars. Stable magnetic field configurations are known which could persist probably for the entire mainsequence life of the star, but they may not show the complexity and diversity exhibited by the Ap stars observed. We suggest that the Ap star magnetism is not a result of stable configurations, but is the result of an instability based on strong toroidal magnetic fields buried in the stars. The highly nonaxisymmetric remainders of the instability are reminiscent of the diversity of fields seen on Ap stars. The strengths of these remnant magnetic fields are actually between a few per cent up to considerable fractions of the internal toroidal field; this means field strengths of the order of kGauss being compatible with what is observed. The magnetic fields emerge at the surface rather quickly; rough estimates deliver time‐scales of the order of a few years. Since rotation stabilizes the instability, normal A stars may still host considerable, invisible toroidal magnetic fields (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)