 Dipole and quadrupole parity in a mean-field dynamo

In a reflection-symmetric mean-field dynamo model, dipole parity can be represented by an even poloidal-potential amplitude and an odd toroidal-field amplitude; quadrupole parity reverses these assignments. The names describe the reflection classes appropriate to the model, not arbitrary electric multipoles. A complex amplitude $P=A+iB$ allows a phase rotation by $i$ to interchange the two classes when the unperturbed equations have that phase symmetry.