Solar small-scale dynamo and polarity of sunspot groups
Abstract
In order to clarify a possible role of small-scale dynamo in formation of solar magnetic field, we suggest an observational test for small-scale dynamo action based on statistics of anti-Hale sunspot groups. As we have shown, according to theoretical expectations the small-scale dynamo action has to provide a population of sunspot groups which do not follow the Hale polarity law, and the density of such groups on the time-latitude diagram is expected to be independent on the phase of the solar cycle. Correspondingly, a percentage of the anti-Hale groups is expected to reach its maximum values during solar minima. For several solar cycles, we considered statistics of anti-Hale groups obtained by several scientific teams, including ours, to find that the percentage of anti-Hale groups becomes indeed maximal during a solar minimum. Our interpretation is that this fact may be explained by the small-scale dynamo action inside the solar convective zone.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- August 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/stv1036
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1505.01557
- Bibcode:
- 2015MNRAS.451.1522S
- Keywords:
-
- dynamo;
- Sun: activity;
- Sun: magnetic fields;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 6 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS