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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1977

The local complex of O and B stars. II - Kinematics

The observed space velocities of O-B5 stars lying within about 1 kpc of the sun are analyzed. Motions examined include local solar motion, differential galactic rotation, mean peculiar stellar velocities, and systematic stellar motions parallel and perpendicular to the galactic plane. Kinematical determinations of the Oort constant and the K term for stars previously classified as members of the Gould and galactic belts are found to confirm earlier results that the Gould belt (or at least its youngest component) comprises a local perturbation in the general galactic velocity field. It is shown that if the Gould belt is expanding as a unit, its expansion age must be about 70 million years. The analyses also indicate negligibly small translational motion of the Gould belt relative to the galactic belt and parallel to the galactic plane as well as an approximate 'seesaw' motion of the Gould belt about the Cassiopeia-Carina line in the galactic plane. The age of the Gould belt is inferred to be either 20 or 60 million years from the vertical motions, which would imply the existence of either one or two waves of star formation as the Gould belt passed through the galactic belt either once or twice.

Frogel, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Torsional oscillations of low mode

Standing-wave torsional oscillations of wavenumber 1/2 and 1/hemisphere are studied using an improved fit to Mount Wilson magnetograph data. These oscillations are seen to be in phase with each other and with the magnetic activity cycle, and seem best represented as a flexing of the differential rotation curve. Superposing them gives a differential rotation which at solar minimum is slightly flattened at the equator but considerably (about 5 percent) steepened at the poles, and also tends to produce a travelling wave with wavenumber 1/hemisphere that moves from pole to equator as the cycle progresses.

Snodgrass, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Is stellar differential rotation observable?

Daily measures of the disk integral 2.8 GHz solar flux from the years 1947 through 1982 are analyzed to determine the detectability of stellar differential rotation using the tracer method. Autocorrelation and power spectral analyses of 1 yr data sets yield rotation periods whose scatter about the mean period is too large to permit detection of the expected differential rotation signal. The principal noise source is the random appearance of tracer regions on the solar surface, in time and longitude. Criteria are given for optimizing stellar observations and analyses to detect differential rotation.

Labonte, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Solar rotation in the chromosphere and corona

Extreme ultraviolet spectroheliograms in Mg X (625 A) and the Lyman continuum (897 A) obtained from OSO-6 are used to determine the differential rotation rate in the solar chromosphere and corona. The equatorial rotation rate agrees with spectroscopic measurements of the photospheric plasma velocity; the variation of rate with latitude is less pronounced than in most other determinations. We cannot discern a variation in the rotation rate between the chromosphere and corona.

Henze, W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2004

MHD Modeling of Differential Rotation in Coronal Holes

The photosphere and the magnetic flux therein undergo differential rotation. Coronal holes appear to rotate almost rigidly. Magnetic reconnection has been invoked to reconcile these phenomena. Mechanism relevant to the formation of the slow solar wind. We have used our MHD model in spherical coordinates to study the effect of differential rotation on coronal holes. We have imposed a magnetic flux distribution similar to and applied differential rotation for the equivalent of 5 solar rotations.

Lionello, Roberto↗
NASA NTRS1987

Rotation of the coronal magnetic field

The coronal magnetic field rotates differently than the photosphere. The field configuration of the corona can be calculated from the observed photosphpere field using a potential field model. Correlation of the field patterns at different latitudes with a lag near one solar rotation shows much less differential rotation than observed in the photospheric field; however, the peak is very broad and determines the rotation rate rather poorly. Consideration of longer lags reveals a more complex rotational structure and indicates different rotation rates in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Spectral analysis of the equatorial dipole component of the coronal field reveals an organization into just a few discrete rotation frequencies which are apparently present simultaneously. Spectral analysis of the field at different latitudes shows that the frequencies are present simultaneously. Spectra analysis of the field at different latitudes shows that the frequencies are present simultaneously, but in different hemispheres, and that the Southern Hemisphere fields rotate more slowly than those in the north in solar cycle 21.

Hoeksema, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Observational and theoretical investigations in solar seismology

This is the final report on a project to develop a theoretical basis for interpreting solar oscillation data in terms of the interior dynamics and structure of the Sun. The topics covered include the following: (1) studies of the helioseismic signatures of differential rotation and convection in the solar interior; (2) wave generation by turbulent convection; and (3) the study of antipodal sunspot imaging of an active region tomography.

Noyes, Robert W.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Flux Transport and the Sun's Global Magnetic Field

The Sun s global magnetic field is produced and evolved through the emergence of magnetic flux in active regions and its transport across the solar surface by the axisymmetric differential rotation and meridional flow and the non-axisymmetric convective flows of granulation, supergranulation, and giant cell convection. Maps of the global magnetic field serve as the inner boundary condition for space weather. The photospheric magnetic field and its evolution determine the coronal and solar wind structures through which CMEs must propagate and in which solar energetic particles are accelerated and propagate. Producing magnetic maps which best represent the actual field configuration at any instant requires knowing the magnetic field over the observed hemisphere as well as knowing the flows that transport flux. From our Earth-based vantage point we only observe the front-side hemisphere and each pole is observable for only six months of the year at best. Models for the surface magnetic flux transport can be used to provide updates to the magnetic field configuration in those unseen regions. In this presentation I will describe successes and failures of surface flux transport and present new observations on the structure, the solar cycle variability, and the evolution of the flows involved in magnetic flux transport. I find that supergranules play the dominant role due to their strong flow velocities and long lifetimes. Flux is transported by differential rotation and meridional flow only to the extent that the supergranules participate in those two flows.

Hathaway, David H.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Solar Rossby Wave 'Hills' Identified As Supergranules

We explore the nature of 'hills' observed on the solar surface which had previously been attributed to Rossby waves. We investigate the sol ar hills phenomenon by analyzing the output from a synthetic model ba sed solely on the observed solar photospheric convection spectrum. We show that the characteristics of these hills can be explained by the corrugation of the surface produced by the radial flows of the conve ction. The hills in our simulations are dominated by supergranules, a well-known component of solar convection. Rossby waves have been predicted to exist within the Sun and may play an important role in the d ynamics of the solar interior, including the Sun's differential rotat ion and magnetic dynamo. Our study suggests, however, that the hills observed at the solar limb do not confirm the existence of solar Ross by waves.

Williams, P. E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Flows in the Solar Convection Zone

Flows within the solar convection zone are the primary drivers of the Sun's magnetic activity cycle. Differential rotation stretches out the magnetic field and converts poloidal fields into toroidal fields. Zones of strong radial shear are found at both the surface and at the base of the convection zone (the tachocline). The poleward meridional flow near the surface transports magnetic flux that is observed to reverse the magnetic poles near the time of cycle maxima. The deeper (and as yet unobserved), equatorward meridional flow should carry magnetic flux toward the equator where it reconnects with oppositely directed fields in the other hemisphere. The non-axisymmetric flows (granules, supergranules, and giant cells) also transport magnetic flux but in a more random, diffusive, manner. Supergranules and giant cells also play significant roles in driving the large-scale, axisymmetric flows themselves. The effect of solar rotation on supergranulation produces the shear layer near the surface and enhances the meridional flow. The effect of solar rotation on giant cells should produce the latitudinal differential rotation, the shear in the tachocline, and the meridional circulation. In this presentation I will describe the observed and theorized characteristics of the flows in the solar convection zone and discuss their connections to the solar activity cycle.

Hathaway, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The decay of the mean solar magnetic field

The effects that differential rotation and a hypothetical meridional flow would have on the evolution of the sun's mean line-of-sight magnetic field as seen from earth have been analyzed. By winding the large-scale field into strips of alternating positive and negative polarity, differential rotation causes the mean-field amplitude to decay and the mean-field rotation period to acquire the value corresponding to the latitude of the surviving unwound magnetic flux. For a latitudinally broad two-sector initial field such as a horizontal dipole, the decay is rapid for about 5 rotations, and slow with a t exp-1/2 dependence thereafter. If a poleward meridional flow is present, it will accelerate the decay by carrying the residual flux to high latitudes where the line-of-sight components are small. The resulting decay is exponential with an e-folding time of 0.75 yr (10 rotations) for an assumed 15 m/s peak meridional flow speed.

Sheeley, N. R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Differential rotation of photospheric magnetic fields associated with coronal holes

An interesting aspect of solar rotation is the fact that coronal holes seem to exhibit little or no differential rotation. The question is investigated of whether or not the photospheric magnetic fields underlying coronal holes also exhibit reduced differential rotation. In order to accomplish this, the daily positions of filaments and plages surrounding a large coronal hole that lasted for several disk passages were measured. The resulting differential-rotation curve was considerably flatter than the standard curve for long-lived filaments and was in remarkably good agreement with the curve found for the overlying coronal hole itself.

Adams, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Global Evolution of Solar Magnetic Fields and Prediction of Solar Activity Cycles

Prediction of solar activity cycles is challenging because the physical processes inside the Sun involve a broad range of multiscale dynamics that no model can reproduce, and the available observations are highly limited and cover mostly surface layers. Helioseismology makes it possible to probe solar dynamics in the convective zone, but variations in the differential rotation and meridional circulation are currently available for only two solar activity cycles. It has been demonstrated that sunspot observations, which cover over 400 years, can be used to calibrate the Parker-Kleeorin-Ruzmaikin model and that the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) method can be used to link the model magnetic fields to sunspot observations to make reliable predictions of a following cycle. However, for more accurate predictions, it is necessary to use actual observations of the solar magnetic fields, which are available for only four solar cycles. This raises the question of how limitations in observational data and model uncertainties affect predictive capabilities and implies the need for the development of new forecast methodologies and validation criteria. In this presentation, I will discuss the influence of the limited number of available observations on the accuracy of EnKF estimates of solar cycle parameters.

Kitiashvili, Irina N.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The observed relationships between some solar rotation parameters and the activity cycle

Several parameters of the solar rotation show variations which appear to relate to the phase of the solar-activity cycle. The latitude gradient of the differential rotation, as seen in the coefficients of the sin2 and sin4 terms in the latitude expansion, shows marked variations with the cycle. One of these variations may be described as a one-cycle-per-hemisphere torsional oscillation with a period of 11 years, where the high latitudes rotate faster at solar-activity maximum and slower at minimum, and the low latitudes rotate faster at solar-activity minimum and slower at maximum. Another variation is a periodic oscillation of the fractional difference in the low-latitude rotation between north and south hemispheres. The possibility of a variation in the absolute rotational velocity of the sun in phase with the solar cycle remains an open question. The two-cycle-per-hemisphere torsional waves in the solar rotation also represent an aspect of the rotation which varies with the cycle. It is shown that the amplitude of the fast flowing zone rises a year before the rise to activity maximum. The fast zone seems to be physically the more significant of the two zones.

Howard, R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

How Large Scale Flows in the Solar Convection Zone may Influence Solar Activity

Large scale flows within the solar convection zone are the primary drivers of the Sun s magnetic activity cycle. Differential rotation can amplify the magnetic field and convert poloidal fields into toroidal fields. Poleward meridional flow near the surface can carry magnetic flux that reverses the magnetic poles and can convert toroidal fields into poloidal fields. The deeper, equatorward meridional flow can carry magnetic flux toward the equator where it can reconnect with oppositely directed fields in the other hemisphere. These axisymmetric flows are themselves driven by large scale convective motions. The effects of the Sun s rotation on convection produce velocity correlations that can maintain the differential rotation and meridional circulation. These convective motions can influence solar activity themselves by shaping the large-scale magnetic field pattern. While considerable theoretical advances have been made toward understanding these large scale flows, outstanding problems in matching theory to observations still remain.

Hathaway, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Aspects of the Solar Tachocline

The splitting of the frequencies of p-mode multiplets enables information to be gained about the internal rotation of the sun. Such data have revealed a transition at the base of the convection zone from differential rotation similar to that observed at the surface to almost solid-body rotation in the radiative interior. This transition region, known as the tachocline, has been found to be relatively narrow and centered below the base of the convection zone. In this paper, the evolution of the transition region is investigated numerically. Without a large anisotropic viscosity, the depth to which it would spread in one solar age, under the assumption of a constant prescribed differential rotation at the base of the convection zone, is found to be greater than its extent as inferred from helioseismology. In the second part of the paper a highly anisotropic turbulent viscosity with a large horizontal component, as suggested by Spiegel & Zahn (1992), is assumed. In this case, a steady tachocline is formed in which the advection of angular momentum balances the Reynolds stresses. The horizontal component of turbulent viscosity required to match the thickness of the tachocline to that obtained by helioseismology, is estimated to be 5 x 1O sq cm/s The transport of helium is studied in this case and is found to yield a sound-speed increase similar to that required by helioseismology.

Elliott, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Depth and latitude dependence of the solar internal angular velocity

One of the design goals for the dedicated helioseismology observing state located at Mount Wilson Observatory was the measurement of the internal solar rotation using solar p-mode oscillations. In this paper, the first p-mode splittings obtained from Mount Wilson are reported and compared with those from several previously published studies. It is demonstrated that the present splittings agree quite well with composite frequency splittings obtained from the comparisons. The splittings suggest that the angular velocity in the solar equatorial plane is a function of depth below the photosphere. The latitudinal differential rotation pattern visible at the surface appears to persist at least throughout the solar convection zone.

Rhodes, Edward J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The solar gravitational figure: J2 and J4

The theory of the solar gravitational figure is derived including the effects of differential rotation. It is shown that J sub 4 is smaller than J sub 2 by a factor of about 10 rather than being of order J sub 2 squared as would be expected for rigid rotation. The dependence of both J sub 2 and J sub 4 on envelope mass is given. High order p-mode oscillation frequencies provide a constraint on solar structure which limits the range in envelope mass to the range 0.01 M sub E/solar mass 0.04. For an assumed rotation law in which the surface pattern of differential rotation extends uniformly throughout the convective envelope, this structural constraint limits the ranges of J sub 2 and J sub 4 in units of 10 to the -8th power to 10 J sub 2 15 and 0.6 -J sub 4 1.5. Deviations from these ranges would imply that the rotation law is not constant with depth and would provide a measure of this rotation law.

Ulrich, R. K.↗