PHYSICAL ORIGIN OF DIFFERENCES AMONG VARIOUS MEASURES OF SOLAR MERIDIONAL CIRCULATION

Journal Article · Sun Oct 10 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/722/1/774· OSTI ID:21464660

Dikpati, Mausumi; Gilman, Peter A ^[1]

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1. High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research 3080 Center Green, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States)

We show that systematic differences between surface Doppler and magnetic element tracking measures of solar meridional flow can be explained by the effects of surface turbulent magnetic diffusion. Feature-tracking speeds are lower than plasma speeds in low and mid latitudes, because magnetic diffusion opposes poleward plasma flow in low latitudes whereas it adds to plasma flow at high latitudes. Flux-transport dynamo models must input plasma flow; the model outputs yield estimates of the surface magnetic feature tracking speed. We demonstrate that the differences between plasma speed and magnetic pattern speed in a flux-transport dynamo are consistent with the observed difference between these speeds.

• OSTI ID: 21464660
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 722; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
MAGNETISM
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
PHOTOSPHERE
PLASMA
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
STARS
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
SUN
VELOCITY