Sign on

SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service

· Find Similar Abstracts (with default settings below)
· Electronic Refereed Journal Article (HTML)
· Full Refereed Journal Article (PDF/Postscript)
· References in the article
· Citations to the Article (53) (Citation History)
· Refereed Citations to the Article
· Associated Articles
· Also-Read Articles (Reads History)
·
· Translate This Page
Title:
Evidence That a Deep Meridional Flow Sets the Sunspot Cycle Period [ Erratum: 2004ApJ...602..543H ]
Authors:
Hathaway, David H.; Nandy, Dibyendu; Wilson, Robert M.; Reichmann, Edwin J.
Affiliation:
AA(NSSTC/NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35805; ), AB(Department of Physics, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173840, Bozeman, MT 59717), AC(NSSTC/NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35805), AD(NSSTC/NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35805)
Publication:
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 589, Issue 1, pp. 665-670. (ApJ Homepage)
Publication Date:
05/2003
Origin:
UCP
ApJ Keywords:
Sun: Activity, Sun: Interior, Sun: Magnetic Fields
DOI:
10.1086/374393
Bibliographic Code:
2003ApJ...589..665H

Abstract

Sunspots appear on the Sun in two bands on either side of the equator that drift toward lower latitudes as each sunspot cycle progresses. We examine the drift of the centroid of the sunspot area toward the equator in each hemisphere from 1874 to 2002 and find that the drift rate slows as the centroid approaches the equator. We compare the drift rate at sunspot cycle maximum with the period of each cycle for each hemisphere and find a highly significant anticorrelation: hemispheres with faster drift rates have shorter periods. These observations are consistent with a meridional counterflow deep within the Sun as the primary driver of the migration toward the equator and the period associated with the sunspot cycle. We also find that the drift rate at maximum is significantly correlated with the amplitude of the following cycle, a prediction of dynamo models that employ a deep meridional flow toward the equator. Our results indicate an amplitude of about 1.2 m s-1 for the meridional flow velocity at the base of the solar convection zone.

Associated Articles

Main Paper     Erratum    

Bibtex entry for this abstract   Preferred format for this abstract (see Preferences)
   

Find Similar Abstracts:

Use: Authors
Title
Keywords (in text query field)
Abstract Text
Return: Query Results Return    items starting with number
Query Form
Database: Astronomy
Physics
arXiv e-prints