Related papers: Is there a phase constraint for solar dynamo model…
Solar active regions, produced by the emergence of tubes of strong magnetic field in the photosphere, are restricted to within 35 degrees of the solar equator. The nature of the dynamo processes that create and renew these fields, and are…
In this paper, written as a general historical and technical introduction to the various review papers collected in the special issue ``Solar and Stellar Dynamo: A New Era'', we review the evolution and current state of dynamo theory and…
In response to the claim by Dziembowski et al. (2001) that the solar radius decreases with magnetic activity at the rate of 1.5 km/yr, we consider the theoretical question whether a radius variation is expected with the solar cycle. If the…
The phenomenon of solar "torsional oscillations" (TO) represents migratory zonal flows associated with the solar cycle. These flows are observed on the solar surface and, according to helioseismology, extend through the convection zone. We…
The butterfly diagram of the solar cycle exhibits a poleward migration of the diffuse magnetic field resulting from the decay of trailing sunspots. It is one component of what is sometimes referred to as the "rush to the poles". 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…
Solar activity can be witnessed in the form of sunspots and active regions, where the magnetic field is enhanced by up to a factor 1000 as compared to that of the quiet Sun. In addition, solar activity manifests itself in terms of flares,…
Previously unobservable mirror asymmetry of the solar magnetic field -- a key ingredient of the dynamo mechanism which is believed to drive the 11-year activity cycle -- has now been measured. This was achieved through systematic monitoring…
From a set of stellar spectropolarimetric observations, we report the detection of surface magnetic fields in a sample of four solar-type stars, namely HD 73350, HD 76151, HD 146233 (18 Sco) and HD 190771. Assuming that the observed…
We study the physics of the solar tachocline and related MHD instabilities. We have performed 3-D MHD simulations of the solar radiative interior to check whether a fossil magnetic field is able to prevent the spread of the tachocline.…
Global and semi-global convective dynamo simulations of solar-like stars are known to show a transition from an anti-solar (fast poles, slow equator) to solar-like (fast equator, slow poles) differential rotation (DR) for increasing…
The solar tachocline, located at the interface between the latitude-dependent rotation of the convection zone and the rigid radiative interior, presents high gradients of angular velocity which are of particular interest for the models of…
In addition to sunspots, which represent the most easily visualized manifestation of solar magnetism, cutting-edge observations of the solar atmosphere have uncovered a plethora of magnetic flux tubes, down to the resolving power of modern…
It is shown that the description of the solar cycle that takes into account the odd zonal harmonic of the solar magnetic field allows us to deepen our knowledge of two important aspects of the solar activity. First, to clarify and expand…
Parameters of magnetic activity on the solar type stars depend on the properties of the dynamo processes operating in stellar convection zones. We apply nonlinear mean-field axisymmetric $\alpha^2\Omega$ dynamo models to calculate of the…
A fraction of solar active regions are observed to have current helicity of a sign that contradicts the polarity law for magnetic helicity; this law corresponds to the well-known Hale polarity law for sunspots. A significant excess of…
Helicity and \alpha effect driven by the nonaxisymmetric Tayler instability of toroidal magnetic fields in stellar radiation zones are computed. In the linear approximation a purely toroidal field always excites pairs of modes with…
Observations of proxies of the magnetic helicity in the Sun over the past two solar cycles revealed reversals of the helicity hemispheric sign rule (negative in the North and positive in the South hemispheres). We apply the mean-field solar…
The Sun's surface field, especially the polar field, sets the boundary condition for the coronal and heliospheric magnetic fields, but also provides us insight into the dynamo process. The evolution of the polar fields results from the…
Solar flares occur due to the sudden release of energy stored in active-region magnetic fields. To date, the pre-cursors to flaring are still not fully understood, although there is evidence that flaring is related to changes in the…