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Register a new userThe need for active region disconnection in 3D kinematic dynamo simulations
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In this paper we address a discrepancy between the surface flux evolution in a 3D kinematic dynamo model and a 2D surface flux transport model that has been closely calibrated to the real Sun. We demonstrate that the difference is due to the connectivity of active regions to the toroidal field at the base of the convection zone, which is not accounted for in the surface-only model. Initially, we consider the decay of a single active region, firstly in a simplified Cartesian 2D model and subsequently the full 3D model. By varying the turbulent diffusivity profile in the convection zone, we find that increasing the diffusivity - so that active regions are more rapidly disconnected from the base of the convection zone - improves the evolution of the surface field. However, if we simulate a full solar cycle, we find that the dynamo is unable to sustain itself under such an enhanced diffusivity. This suggests that in order to accurately model the solar cycle, we must find an alternative way to disconnect emerging active regions, whilst conserving magnetic flux.
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Numerical simulations of kinematic dynamo action in steady and 3-d ABC flows are presented with special focus on growth rates and multiple periods of the prescribed velocity field. It is found that the difference in growth rate is due to differences in the recycling of the weakest part of the magnetic field. Differences in the topology in cases with and without stagnation points in the imposed velocity field are also investigated, and it is found that the cigar-like structures that develop in the classical A=B=C dynamos, are replaced by ribbon structures in cases where the flow is without stagnation points.
Numerical simulations that reproduce solar-like magnetic cycles can be used to generate long-term statistics. The variations in N-S hemispheric cycle synchronicity and amplitude produced in simulations has not been widely compared to observations. The observed limits on asymmetry show that hemispheric sunspot area production is no more than 20% asymmetric for cycles 12-23 and phase lags do not exceed 20% (2 yrs) of the total cycle period. Independent studies have found a long-term trend in phase values as one hemisphere leads the other for ~four cycles. Such persistence in phase is not indicative of a stochastic phenomenon. We compare the findings to results from a numerical simulation of solar convection recently produced with the EULAG-MHD model. This simulation spans 1600 yrs and generated 40 regular, sunspot-like cycles. While the simulated cycle length is too long and the toroidal bands remain at too high of latitudes, some solar-like aspects of hemispheric asymmetry are reproduced. The model reproduces the synchrony of polarity
New developments in surface flux transport modeling and theory of flux transport dynamos have given rise to the notion that certain large active regions with anomalous properties (location, tilt angle and/or Hale/non-Hale character) may have a major impact on the course of solar activity in subsequent years, impacting also on the amplitude of the following solar cycles. Here we discuss our current understanding of the role of such rogue active regions in cycle-to-cycle variations of solar activity.
We report the statistics of the number of active regions (NAR) observed at 17 GHz with the Nobeyama Radioheliograph between 1992, near the maximum of cycle 22, and 2013, that also includes the maximum of cycle 24, and we compare with other activity indexes. We find that NAR minima are shorter than those of the sunspot number (SSN) and radio flux at 10.7 cm (F10.7). This shorter NAR minima could reflect the presence of active regions generated by faint magnetic fields or spotless regions, which were a considerable fraction of the counted active regions. The ratio between the solar radio indexes F10.7/NAR shows a similar reduction during the two minima analyzed, which contrasts with the increase of the ratio of both radio indexes in relation to the SSN during the minimum of cycle 23-24. These results indicate that the radio indexes are more sensitive to weaker magnetic fields than those necessary to form sunspots, of the order of 1500 G. The analysis of the monthly averages of the active region brightness temperatures shows that its long term variation mimics the solar cycle, although, due to the gyro-resonance emission, a great number of intense spikes are observed in the maximum temperature study. The decrease, in number, of these spikes is also evident during the current cycle 24, a consequence of the sunspot magnetic field weakening in the last years.
We study how active-region-scale flux tubes rise buoyantly from the base of the convection zone to near the solar surface by embedding a thin flux tube model in a rotating spherical shell of solar-like turbulent convection. These toroidal flux tubes that we simulate range in magnetic field strength from 15 kG to 100 kG at initial latitudes of 1 degree to 40 degrees in both hemispheres. This article expands upon Weber, Fan, and Miesch (Astrophys. J., 741, 11, 2011) (Article 1) with the inclusion of tubes with magnetic flux of 10^20 Mx and 10^21 Mx, and more simulations of the previously investigated case of 10^22 Mx, sampling more convective flows than the previous article, greatly improving statistics. Observed properties of active regions are compared to properties of the simulated emerging flux tubes, including: the tilt of active regions in accordance with Joys Law as in Article 1, and in addition the scatter of tilt angles about the Joys Law trend, the most commonly occurring tilt angle, the rotation rate of the emerging loops with respect to the surrounding plasma, and the nature of the magnetic field at the flux tube apex. We discuss how these diagnostic properties constrain the initial field strength of the active region flux tubes at the bottom of the solar convection zone, and suggest that flux tubes of initial magnetic field strengths of geq 40 kG are good candidates for the progenitors of large (10^21 Mx to 10^22 Mx) solar active regions, which agrees with the results from Article 1 for flux tubes of 10^22 Mx. With the addition of more magnetic flux values and more simulations, we find that for all magnetic field strengths, the emerging tubes show a positive Joys Law trend, and that this trend does not show a statistically significant dependence on the magnetic flux.
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