Magnetic fields in the radiative-transport zone and the solar cycle

It is shown that a hypothetical relict magnetic field in the solar radiative-transport zone that penetrates into the convective zone would affect the solar dynamo, resulting in radical changes in the butterfly diagrams. This would transform the traveling waves of activity into standing waves. A comparison of our results with the well-known butterfly diagrams for the Sun gives an upper limit of the order of some tens G for the value of relict magnetic field penetrating into the solar convective zone. At the same time, it is not ruled out that such relict magnetic fields in other solar-type stars are strong enough to make the activity waves become standing waves.     

Coherent structures in the dynamics of the large-scale solar magnetic field

Variations in the mean solar magnetic field (MSMF) are studied in both the frequency-time and longitude-time domains. A wavelet analysis of the MSMF clearly demonstrates that variations in the mean field are not stationary. Combined with longitude-time diagrams for the background solar magnetic field (BSMF), the analysis reveals the emergence of the background field, which occurs discretely at intervals of 1.5–2 years. Based on an analysis of the fine structure in MSMF variations, we develop a numerical technique to study timedependent heliographic-longitude distribution of the large-scale magnetic field. A detailed picture of the rotation of the large-scale magnetic field is derived for activity cycles 20–23. Coherent structures are detected in longitude-time diagrams obtained by deconvolving the MSMF series. These structures are related to discrete rigid-rotation modes of the large-scale magnetic fields. Various rotational modes coexist and replace one another. During the phase of activity growth, modes with periods of 27.8–28.5 days dominate, whereas a mode with a rotational period of about 27 days dominates during the decline phase. Occasionally, modes with periods of 29–30 days appear. Most structures in the longitude-time MSMF distribution correspond to similar structures in the BSMF distribution for the northern or southern hemisphere. Chronologically, the emergence of the BSMF has frequently been accompanied by changes in the solar rotational regime and has been correlated with variations in the polarity asymmetry in the course of the 11-year activity cycle.     

Parity fluctuations in stellar dynamos

Observations of the solar butterfly diagram from sunspot records suggest persistent fluctuations in parity, away from the overall, approximately dipolar pattern. A simple mean-field dynamo model is used with a solar-like rotation law and perturbed α effect. The parity of the magnetic field relative to the rotational equator can demonstrate can be described as resonance behavior, while the magnetic energy behaves in a more or less expected way. Possible applications of this effect are discussed in the context of various deviations of the solar magnetic field from dipolar symmetry, as reported from analyses of archival sunspot data. The model produces fluctuations in field parity, and hence in the butterfly diagram, that are consistent with observed fluctuaions in solar behavior.     

The large-scale solar magnetic field and 11-year activity cycles

Magnetic Hα synoptic maps of the Sun for 1915–1999 are analyzed and the intensities of spherical harmonics of the large-scale solar magnetic field computed. The possibility of using these Hα maps as a database for investigations of long-term variations of solar activity is demonstrated. As an example, the magnetic-field polarity distribution for the Hα maps and the analogous polarity distribution for the magnetographic maps of the Stanford observatory for 1975–1999 are compared. An activity index A(t) is introduced for the large-scale magnetic field, which is the sum of the magnetic-moment intensities for the dipole and octupole components. The 11-year cycle of the large-scale solar magnetic field leads the 11-year sunspot cycle by, on average, 5.5 years. It is concluded that the observed weak large-scale solar magnetic field is not the product of the decay of strong active-region fields. Based on the new data, the level of the current (23rd) solar-activity cycle and some aspects of solar-cycle theory are discussed.     

Active longitudes and north-south asymmetry of the activity the Sun as manifestations of its relic magnetic field

The distributions of dominant magnetic polarities in synoptic maps of photospheric magnetic fields and their extrapolations to the corona based on Stanford Observatory data are studied. Both dipolar and quadrupolar magnetic patterns are detected in the distributions of dominant polarities in the near-equatorial region of the photosphere for activity cycles 21, 22, and 23. The field in these patterns often has opposite signs on opposite sides of the equator, with this sign changing from cycle to cycle. A longitude-time analysis of variations of the mean solar magnetic field shows that the contribution of the large-scale magnetic patterns to the total field does not exceed 20 µT. The most stable magnetic structures at a quasi-source surface in the solar corona are separated by approximately 180° in heliographic longitude and are close to dipolar. The nature and behavior of these large-scale magnetic patterns are interpreted as a superposition of cyclic dynamo modes and the nonaxially symmetric relic field of the Sun. The contribution of the relic field to the mean solar magnetic field appears as a weak but stable rotational modulation whose amplitude does not exceed 8 µT.     

Generation of solar magnetic fields by the αδΘ dynamo

We consider a solar dynamo mechanism that generates large-scale magnetic fields due to the combined action of cyclonic flows (the α effect), differential rotation (the Θ effect), and the non-uniformity of large-scale magnetic fields (the Θ × J effect). Our results are based on numerical model which takes into account currently available data on the differential rotation of the convection zone and the intensity of convective flows in the solar interior. A reasonable choice of parameters characterizing the intensity of magnetic-field generation by the α and Θ × J mechanisms can account for an oscillatory dynamo regime with properties similar to the 22-year magnetic-activity cycle of the Sun. We analyze the nonlinear saturation of the generation effects in the large-scale magnetic field, due to either magnetic stresses or the conservation of magnetic helicity. Allowance for the helicity of the small-scale magnetic fields is of crucial importance in limiting the energy of the generated large-scale magnetic field.     

Solar millisecond spikes manifest large-and small-scale inhomogeneities of the coronal plasma

A model for the generation of solar millisecond radio spikes via a maser cyclotron resonance is proposed. The model takes into account the large-scale inhomogeneity of the magnetic field and small-scale inhomogeneities of the coronal plasma. The efficiency of the energy transformation from a electron beam into maser radiation is estimated. Appropriate parameters of the magnetic field inhomogeneity and the plasma turbulence are found.     

The Nature of Variations in Anomalies of the Chemical Composition of the Solar Corona with the 11-Year Cycle

Evidence that the distribution of the abundances of admixtures with low first-ionization potentials (FIP < 10 eV) in the lower solar corona could be associated with the typology of the largescale magnetic field is presented. Solar observations show an enhancement in the abundances of elements with low FIPs compared to elements with high FIPs (>10 eV) in active regions and closed magnetic configurations in the lower corona. Observations with the ULYSSES spacecraft and at the Stanford Solar Observatory have revealed strong correlations between the manifestation of the FIP effect in the solar wind, the strength of the open magnetic flux (without regard to sign), and the ratio of the large-scale toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields at the solar surface. Analyses of observations of the Sun as a star show that the enhancement of the abundances of admixtures with low FIPs in the corona compared to their abundances in the photosphere (the FIP effect) is closely related to the solar-activity cycle and also with variations in the topology of the large-scale magnetic field. A possible mechanism for the relationship between the FIP effect and the spectral type of a star is discussed in the framework of solar–stellar analogies.     

Variations of the dipole magnetic moment of the sun during the solar activity cycle

Observations of the large-scale solar magnetic field (synoptic maps) and measurements of the magnetic field of the Sun as a star (the total magnetic field) are used to determine the dipole magnetic moment and direction of the dipole field for three successive solar cycles. Both the magnetic moment and its vertical and horizontal components vary regularly during the cycle, but never disappear completely. A wavelet analysis of the total magnetic field shows that the amplitude of the 27-day variations of this field is very closely related to the magnetic moment of the horizontal dipole. The reversal of the global dipole field corresponds to a change in the inclination of its axis and occurs in a series of steps lasting one to two years rather than continuously. Before the onset of the reversal, the dipole axis precesses relative to the solar rotational axis, then shifts in a meridianal plane, reaching very low latitudes, where a substantial shift in longitude then begins. These results are discussed in connection with helioseismological data indicating the existence of oscillations with a period of about 1.3 yr and properties of dynamo processes for the case of an inclined rotator.     

Quasi-biennial oscillations of the global solar magnetic field

Quasi-biennial oscillations (QBOs) can clearly be distinguished in uniform series of data on the solar magnetic-field polarity derived from Hα observations in 1915–1999. These have been proven to represent oscillations of the global magnetic field of the Sun. This is verified by spectral analyses executed using various methods: the QBOs are clearly visible in low harmonics (l=1–3), but abruptly disappear for l=4 and higher. First and foremost, the QBOs are displayed in variations of the sector structure of the large-scale magnetic field, demonstrating that they correspond to variations of the horizontal multipoles.     

A generalized polarity rule for solar magnetic fields

It is shown that, when all components of the large-scale solar magnetic field are longitudinally averaged, the N polarity and the eastward transverse component of the B _φ field associated with both local and large-scale fields over the Northern hemisphere are somewhat stronger and occupy a smaller area during odd cycles than does the field of opposite polarity. This behavior is reversed for even cycles or the Southern hemisphere. The regular Hale law is a particular form of the above rule. The nature of this asymmetry seems to be rooted in the dynamo mechanism itself, and should be important for fields on any scale.     

Three types of flows in the structure of the solar wind

An experimental study of the source and formation of large-scale streams in the solar wind is presented. Radio-astronomical data from 1998 are compared with optical SOHO observations and solar coronal magnetic fields calculated from Zeeman data obtained at the Wilcox Observatory. A correlation between the geometry of the solar-wind transition region and the strength of coronal magnetic fields is revealed. For the moderate heliolatitudes studied, this correlation divides into three branches corresponding to three types of coronal magnetic-field structures: open structures with field lines escaping into interplanetary space, closed structures with loop-like field lines, and intermediate structures including both open and closed configurations. High-speed streams of solar wind originate in regions with open magnetic structures. These structures are connected with the lateral lobes of streamers at moderate heliolatitudes. Low-speed flows originate above closed magnetic structures, typical of the main bodies of streamers. The lowest-speed solar-wind flows are not associated with coronal streamer structures, and originate in coronal regions with intermediate magnetic configurations simultaneously containing open and closed field lines. In these regions, the white-light corona becomes an extended and amorphous area with high luminosity, which stratifies into a radial structure with narrow stripes at higher resolution.     

Butterfly diagram for starspots on LQ Hya

Information on the latitude distribution of starspots and changes in this distribution from year to year is very important for our understanding of the nature of stellar activity and for developing dynamo theory. The concept of butterfly diagrams is introduced for highly spotted stars of late spectral types, by analogy to the Maunder diagrams for the Sun. Our approach is based on the zonal spottedness models constructed by Alekseev and Gershberg. A detailed analysis is given for the single active star LQ Hya, and a comparison is made to similar analyses for several stars with two well-separated spot belts—EK Dra, VY Ari, V775 Her, and V833 Tau. The lower boundary of the butterfly diagram drifts toward the equator during the activity-rise phase, i.e., during years when the relative spotted area increases. This effect is clearly expressed for LQ Hya and other stars whose orientation enables observation of both hemispheres and virtually vanishes for V833 Tau, which is viewed nearly pole-on. The upper boundary of the diagram is virtually unchanged for all the considered spotted stars except V775 Her, for which it moves toward the pole. The drift rate of the lower boundary is ?1 to ?2 deg/yr, a factor of two to three smaller in magnitude than the corresponding solar value. Our analysis provides an independent confirmation of the occurrence of high-latitude spots on stars that are younger than the Sun and whose activity is high but less regular than the solar activity; it also enables the identification of the starting times of stellar cycles.     

The solar dynamo and integrated irradiance variations in the course of the 11-year cycle

Abstractthe effect of the large-scale magnetic fields generated by the solar dynamo on the radiation flux issuing from the convection zone is studied. A governing equation describing convective heat transfer is obtained in the framework of mean-field magnetohydrodynamics, with account for the influence of magnetic fields and differential rotation on the energy budget of the convection zone. The principal effects are illustrated using a one-dimensional numerical model. Calculations indicate that the influence of large-scale magnetic fields can modulate the solar irradiance with a relative amplitude of ～0.07%.     

Convective mechanism for the formation of photospheric magnetic fields

The well-known model that attributes the formation of a bipolar sunspot group to the emergence of a flux tube disagrees sharply with the usual observed pattern of phenomena. At the same time, the observed patterns can be accounted for quite convincingly in terms of local magnetic-field amplification due to cellular convective motions of the solar plasma. In this study, magnetoconvection in a plane horizontal fluid layer is simulated numerically in the framework of the fully nonlinear, three-dimensional problem. A weak horizontal magnetic field and weak cellular flow are assumed to be present initially. Convection is shown to be capable of producing bipolar magnetic configurations of the strongly amplified magnetic field. Indications of magnetic freezing of the flow in the cell are found. The action of the amplification mechanism under study may be controlled by the large-scale toroidal magnetic field of the Sun.     

Variations of the solar-wind stream structure in the region of subsonic flow during the 11-year solar cycle

The large-scale stream structure of the solar wind near the Sun and its evolution during the 11-year solar activity cycle are investigated. The study is based on observations of scattering of the radiation from compact natural radio sources at radial distances R≤14R _S (R _S is the solar radius). Regular observations were conducted in 1981–1998 on the RT-22 and DKR-1000 radio telescopes of the Russian Academy of Sciences at Pushchino, at λ=1.35 cm and 2.7 m, respectively. The radial dependences of the interplanetary scintillations m(R) and the scattering angle 2?(R) are considered together with the structure of large-scale magnetic fields in the solar corona at R=2.5R _S. The entire range of variations in the level of scattering and the associated heliolatitude flow structures in the subsonic solar wind forms over the 11-year solar cycle, as a direct result of the large-scale structure of the evolving magnetic fields at the source of the solar-wind streamlines.     

Determining the spatial configurations of the coronal magnetic fields of solar active regions

The fundamental possibility of reliably removing the π ambiguity from the transverse magnetic field detected in solar vector magnetographic measurements, independent of the location of the vector magnetograms on the solar disk is demonstrated. The corrected magnetograms are then used as boundary conditions for the reconstruction of the three-dimensional magnetic field. The calculated field lines agree well with observed non-potential magnetic loops. The π ambiguity is removed using a modified Metropolis algorithm adapted to a spherical geometry. The spatial configuration of the magnetic field is calculated in a nonlinear force-free approximation using an optimization method. Tests of the new algorithm for resolving the π ambiguity are demonstrated for various model cases and comparisons with results of the NPFC method.     

Large-scale solar magnetic field: Latitudinal dependence

Large-scale solar magnetic fields in the latitude range 50° S–50° N are analyzed in detail for a long time interval (1915–1990). We are primarily concerned with the two types of large-scale fields forming the two-and four-sector patterns on the Sun. The rotation parameters of these structures are obtained for all latitudes considered. The contribution of the two-sector structure grows and that of the four-sector structure decreases toward high latitudes. The magnetic field is activated simultaneously over a wide latitude range. Since both magnetic-field systems exhibit quasi-rigid rotation, their current systems must either be concentrated in a narrow latitude range or be situated beneath the convection zone, where rotation is only weakly differential. A period of about three years is manifest in the difference between the rotation periods for the two types of magnetic field. Physically, this may imply that these oscillations are external with respect to any level, and there is some phase delay due to their propagation from one level to another. We can conclude with a fair degree of certainty that as the activity level rises, the rotation speed decreases, and vice versa.     

Analysis of a solar eruptive event on November 4, 2001, using CORONAS-F/SPIRIT data

We analyze large-scale solar activity following the eruption of a very powerful, geoeffective coronal mass ejection in the 23rd solar cycle, observed at 175, 284, and 304 Å on November 4, 2001, using data from the CORONAS-F/SPIRIT telescope. In particular, we have shown that the restructuring of the magnetic field above the eruption center was accompanied by the formation of a multicomponent post-eruptive arcade, which was observed in all three bands over many hours and had an extent of the order of 0.5R_⊙. Two kinds of dimmings were observed, i.e., compact dimmings on either side of this arcade and channeled dimmings along some extended features beyond the active region. The intensity in the dimmings decreased by several tens of percent. The enhanced emission observed at the top of the post-eruptive arcade can be due to energy release in the course of magnetic reconnection high in the corona at the relaxation stage of the perturbed magnetic field to a new equilibrium state with a closed configuration. It can also be due to an enhanced emission measure because of the oblique direction of the line of sight crossing both loop tops and footpoint regions. The spatial coincidence of the main dimmings in lines corresponding to different temperatures indicates that a plasma outflow from the transition region and coronal structures with opened field lines are responsible for these dimmings. Variations in the plasma temperature associated with coronal mass ejections probably play an important role for some dimmings, which appear different in different lines.     

Non-radial coronal streamers in the course of the solar cycle

Equatorward deviations of coronal streamers at solar minima and poleward deviations at solar maxima are interpreted as the effects of changes in the general topology of the global solar magnetic field. The streamer axis is located on the neutral surface of the radial magnetic field B _r = 0, and the neutral surfaces deviate toward the field null points. The magnetic configuration with a null point (line) located at the equator is typical for the solar minima, while the null points are located on the rotational axis of the Sun at the solar maxima.