Related papers: Physics of the solar cycle
The magnetic fields of solar-type stars are observed to cycle over decadal periods -11 years in the case of the Sun. The fields originate in the turbulent convective layers of stars and have a complex dependency upon stellar rotation rate.…
After summarizing the relevant observational data, we discuss how a study of flux tube dynamics in the solar convection zone helps us to understand the formation of sunspots. Then we introduce the flux transport dynamo model and assess its…
In this review, we discuss whether the present solar dynamo models can be extrapolated to explain various aspects of stellar activity. We begin with a summary of the following kinds of data for solar-like stars: (i) data pertaining to…
We develop and subsequently explore the solution space of a simple flux transport dynamo model that incorporates a time dependent large scale meridional circulation. Based on recent observations we prescribed an analytical form for the…
Recent analyses of helioseismological observations seem to suggest the presence of two new phenomena connected with the dynamics of the solar convective zone. Firstly, there are present torsional oscillations with periods of about 11 years,…
We first discuss how the flux transport dynamo with reasonably high diffusion can explain both the regular and the irregular features of the solar cycle quite well. Then we critically examine the inadequacies of the model and the challenge…
To explore the physics of large-scale flows in solar-like stars, we perform 3D anelastic simulations of rotating convection for global models with stratification resembling the solar interior. The numerical method is based on an implicit…
A new simple dynamo model for stellar activity cycle is proposed. By considering an inhomogeneous mean flow effect on turbulence, it is shown that turbulent cross helicity (velocity--magnetic-field correlation) should enter the expression…
The magnetic cycle of the Sun, as manifested in the cyclic appearance of sunspots, significantly influences our space environment and space-based technologies by generating what is now termed as space weather. Long-term variation in the…
The Babcock-Leighton type of dynamo has received recent support in terms of the discovery in the observational records of systematic cycle-to-cycle variations in the tilt angle of sunspot groups. It has been proposed that these variations…
Understanding the irregular variation of the solar cycle is crucial due to its significant impact on global climates and the heliosphere. Since the polar magnetic field determines the amplitude of the next solar cycle, variations in the…
Sunspots are obvious observable manifestations of the toroidal magnetic field generated through the dynamo in the convection zone. They appear in different sizes, having a wide distribution in their area. We analyse the sunspot group area…
This paper proposes the idea that the observed dependence of stellar activity cycles on rotation rate can be a manifestation of a stronger dependence on the effective temperature. Observational evidence is recalled and theoretical arguments…
We introduce on/off intermittency into a mean field dynamo model by imposing stochastic fluctuations in either the alpha effect or through the inclusion of a fluctuating electromotive force. Sufficiently strong small scale fluctuations with…
The theory of large scale dynamos is reviewed with particular emphasis on the magnetic helicity constraint in the presence of closed and open boundaries. In the presence of closed or periodic boundaries, helical dynamos respond to the…
The solar torsional oscillations, i.e., the perturbations of the angular velocity of rotation associated with the eleven-year activity cycle, are a manifestation of the interaction among the interior magnetic fields, amplified and modulated…
The dynamic activity of stars such as the Sun influences (exo)planetary space environments through modulation of stellar radiation, plasma wind, particle and magnetic fluxes. Energetic stellar phenomena such as flares and coronal mass…
We present a three-dimensional numerical model for the generation and evolution of the magnetic field in the solar convection zone, in which sunspots are produced and contribute to the cyclic reversal of the large-scale magnetic field. We…
Direct observations over the past four centuries show that the number of sunspots observed on the Sun's surface vary periodically, going through successive maxima and minima. Following sunspot cycle 23, the Sun went into a prolonged minimum…
The sunspot number data during the past 400 years indicates that both the profile and the amplitude of the solar cycle have large variations. Some precursors of the solar cycle were identified aiming to predict the solar cycle. The polar…