New Mexico Liquid Metal $\alpha\omega$-dynamo experiment: Most Recent Progress

The goal of the New Mexico Liquid Metal $\alpha\omega$-dynamo experiment is to demonstrate a galactic dynamo can be generated through two phases, the $\omega$-phase and $\alpha$-phase by two semi-coherent flows in laboratory. We have demonstrated an 8-fold poloidal-to-toroidal flux amplification from differential rotation (the $\omega$-effect) by minimizing turbulence in our apparatus. To demonstrate the $\alpha$-effect, major upgrades are needed. The upgrades include building a helicity injection facility, mounting new 100hp motors and new sensors, designing a new data acquisition system capable of transmitting data from about 80 sensors in a high speed rotating frame with an overall 200kS/sec sampling rate. We hope the upgrade can be utilized to answer the question of whether a self-sustaining $\alpha\omega$-dynamo can be implemented with a realistic lab fluid flow field, as well as to obtain more details to understand dynamo action in highly turbulent Couette flow.