Abstract

In this paper we study the hydromagnetic instability of a toroidal magnetic layer such as that thought to be located in the solar tachocline. The magnetic layer is located in a convectively stable layer and is subject to what is known as the magnetic buoyancy instability (MBI) and under suitable conditions breaks up into twisted and arching magnetic flux tubes. The MBI gives rise to an anti-quenched α effect which can be measured by using the sophisticated quasi-kinematic test field method. This paper aims at summarizing the main results of a much longer paper by Chatterjee et al. 2011, A&A (in press).