title: Simple mechanism for reversals of earth's magnetic field.
abstract: We show that a model, recently used to describe all the dynamical regimes of the magnetic field generated by the dynamo effect in the von Kármán sodium experiment, also provides a simple explanation of the reversals of Earth's magnetic field, despite strong differences between both systems. The validity of the model relies on the smallness of the magnetic Prandtl number.
authors.affiliation: Ecole Normale Supérieure, LPS, UMR CNRS 8550, 24 Rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pétrélis
authors.forename: Stéphan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fauve
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dormy
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Valet