Helicity transport and creation in the solar convection zone
Abstract
Magnetic helicity provides a theoretical tool for characterizing the solar dynamo and the evolution of the coronal field. The magnetic helicity may be inferred from several types of observation including vector magnetograms of the photospehric magnetic fields. The helicty of an active region reflects, to some degree, that produced by the solar cycle dyanmo which is believed to be operating at the base of the convection zone, where the Rossby number is small. The helicty of the active region is affected by the turbulence through which it rises, and this process must be taken into account when interpreting helicity observations. The subsequent dispersal of the active region magnetic field will further affect the observed helicty of the photospheric field. This transport process suggests an observational method of identifying, through helicty measurements, the source of quiet Sun field from either a surface (non-helical) dynamo or the fragmentation of helical active region fields.
- Publication:
-
34th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2002
- Bibcode:
- 2002cosp...34E3177L