A Spherical Plasma Dynamo Experiment
  We propose a plasma experiment to be used to investigate fundamental
properties of astrophysical dynamos. The highly conducting, fast-flowing plasma
will allow experimenters to explore systems with magnetic Reynolds numbers an
order of magnitude larger than those accessible with liquid-metal experiments.
The plasma is confined using a ring-cusp strategy and subject to a toroidal
differentially rotating outer boundary condition. As proof of principle, we
present magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the proposed experiment. When a von
K\'arm\'an-type boundary condition is specified, and the magnetic Reynolds
number is large enough, dynamo action is observed. At different values of the
magnetic Prandtl and Reynolds numbers the simulations demonstrate either
laminar or turbulent dynamo action.
