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There is a minor operator misprint to resolve first. Interpreting $(\mathbf{x}\cdot \nabla {)}^2$ as composition, the Cartesian formula for the angular Laplacian isThe last term is missing from the printed Cartesian expression. For example, its truncated expression maps $x_1$ to $x_1$, whereas a degree-one spherical harmonic must have angular eigenvalue two. In what follows, use the stated angular spectrum $l(l+1)$ and the supplied poloidal-energy identity; these are consistent with the corrected operator.

The divergence theorem and the solenoidal magnetic-field constraint imply zero magnetic flux through every sphere. Consequently $P=r{B}_r$ has zero angular mean and no $l=0$ component. Expand in orthonormal spherical harmonics:By angular orthogonality, withthe gradient norm and the supplied poloidal-toroidal decomposition identity becomeSince $l(l+1)\ge 2$, this proves the poloidal magnetic energy bound by the radial scalar gradient:Equality holds when the radial scalar contains only degree-one angular components.

Define the poloidal and total magnetic energies by $E_P=M_P/(2{\mu }_0)$ and $E_{\mathrm{total}}=M/(2{\mu }_0)$. Combining the radial-flow dynamo energy bound with $D\ge 2M_P$ gives the necessary conditionIt has the same temporal interpretation as the bound in the preceding part; statistically steady versions use the corresponding time-averaged energies. It quantifies why dynamo action with a substantial poloidal fraction requires radial motion, while a purely tangential flow has $Q=0$.

Set $N={\int }_V{P}^{2}dV$, $D={\int }_{{\mathbb{R}}^3}|\nabla P{|}^{2}dV$, $M={\int }_{{\mathbb{R}}^3}|\mathbf{B}{|}^{2}dV$, and $q={\max }_V|Q|$. The confined flow satisfies the impermeability condition $\mathbf{u}\cdot \mathbf{n}=0$, so $Q=0$ at $r=a$. Multiplying the radial magnetic induction scalar equation by $P$ and integrating, the advection term vanishes by the divergence theorem:The same integration by parts, using $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{B}=0$, gives

For diffusion, Green's first identity in the sphere gives ${\int }_{V}P\Delta P=-{\int }_V|\nabla P{|}^2+{\int }_{\partial V}P{\partial }_{r}P$. In the exterior, $\Delta P=0$ and the normal on its inner boundary is $-\hat{\mathbf{r}}$, soThe infinity term vanishes for the isolated decaying field. The insulating boundary condition for the radial magnetic scalar permits matching the two traces, and therefore the exterior contribution is essential: it turns the diffusive term into $-\eta D$. Altogether,Applying the pointwise Cauchy-Schwarz inequality and then its integral version,Thus a nonzero field with stationary or growing $N$ must satisfy the radial-flow dynamo energy bound:

The temporal qualification matters. For general time-dependent dynamo action, nondecay does not make $N^{\prime }\ge 0$ at every instant; the boxed bound applies at nondecreasing instants, to a marginal or growing mode, or in an appropriate long-time sense. A uniform strict violation, $q\sqrt{M/D}\le \eta -\epsilon$ with $\epsilon >0$, gives $N^{\prime }\le -2\epsilon D$. The whole-space Sobolev inequality and Holder inequality give $N\le |V{|}^{2/3}\Vert P{\Vert }_6^2\le C_{a}D$, forcing exponential decay of $N$. Alternatively, for a bounded statistically steady field, time averaging the energy balance and applying Cauchy-Schwarz once more gives $q_{\ast }^2\ge {\eta }^2⟨D⟩/⟨M⟩$, where $q_{\ast }={\sup }_{t}q(t)$. Sustained dynamo action cannot have a uniform negative dissipation gap.

For an isolated solenoidal magnetic field, zero flux through every sphere removes the degree-zero spherical harmonic of $P=\mathbf{B}\cdot \mathbf{x}$. In a poloidal-toroidal decomposition, let ${\mathcal{L}}^2=-{\Delta }_{S^2}$. The spherical poloidal component obeysIf $P={\sum }_{l\ge 1,m}{p}_{lm}(r)Y_{lm}$, put $D_{lm}={\int }_0^{\infty }[r^2|p_{lm}^{\prime }{|}^2+l(l+1)|p_{lm}{|}^2]dr$. The two sides of the bound are respectively $\sum D_{lm}/[l(l+1)]$ and $\frac{1}{2}\sum D_{lm}$. Since $l(l+1)\ge 2$, the bound follows, with equality for degree-one radial scalars. Together with the radial-flow dynamo energy bound it gives $(q/\eta {)}^2\ge 2E_P/E_{\mathrm{total}}$ for a marginal or growing dynamo field.

// Target: fluid-mechanics.bigb