Both the field and stator are attached to the inside of the alternator cover. The stator goes over the outside of the rotor, which is bolted to the end of the crankshaft, and the field coil goes inside the rotor. The field coil is an electromagnet: when current flows through it, it magnetizes the rotor, which in turn induces current in the stator. The regulator controls how much current flows through the field, which in turn controls the output from the stator.