|
Meridional Flow, Torsional Oscillations, and the Solar Magnetic Cycle by David Hathaway 11 January 2002 The solar magnetic cycle has long been thought to result from the interplay between fluid flow and magnetic field in the solar convection zone (the outer 30% of the Sun). Early dynamo models relied on the strong differential rotation seen on the surface and helical convective motions within the Sun to generate the magnetic cycle. Helioseismology has shown that the internal structure of the Sun's differential rotation does not support those early models. Recent observations of meridional flow patterns on the solar surface and within the Sun suggest that this weak flow may play the primary role in setting the 11-year time scale for the cycle. Another weak flow pattern - the torsional oscillations - is also a fundamental part of the cycle but its role is uncertain. The nature of the solar magnetic cycle will be described and the latest developments in observation and theory will be discussed.
|
