English

Coupling the solar dynamo and the corona: wind properties, mass and momentum losses during an activity cycle

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2015-05-28 v1

Abstract

We study the connections between the sun's convection zone and the evolution of the solar wind and corona. We let the magnetic fields generated by a 2.5D axisymmetric kinematic dynamo code (STELEM) evolve in a 2.5D axisymmetric coronal isothermal MHD code (DIP). The computations cover an 11 year activity cycle. The solar wind's asymptotic velocity varies in latitude and in time in good agreement with the available observations. The magnetic polarity reversal happens at different paces at different coronal heights. Overall sun's mass loss rate, momentum flux and magnetic braking torque vary considerably throughout the cycle. This cyclic modulation is determined by the latitudinal distribution of the sources of open flux and solar wind and the geometry of the Alfv\'en surface. Wind sources and braking torque application zones also vary accordingly.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1106.0882,
  title  = {Coupling the solar dynamo and the corona: wind properties, mass and momentum losses during an activity cycle},
  author = {Rui F. Pinto and Allan Sacha Brun and Laurène Jouve and Roland Grappin},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1106.0882},
  year   = {2015}
}