Is there a solar polar vortex?
Abstract
Results are reported for a spectroscopic determination of Doppler velocities near the solar poles which was performed to confirm or refute the existence of the 'polar vortex' (an increase in angular rotation in the vicinity of the rotation poles) predicted by Gilman (1976). The measurements and the analysis are shown not to support the notion of a polar vortex, and it is concluded that the existence of such a vortex on the sun has to be definitely ruled out. The results are also found to provide little evidence for the existence of a supergranulation velocity pattern. It is noted that large-scale velocity patterns of an as yet unknown nature and with a scale of about 60,000 km were detected during this study.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- September 1978
- DOI:
- 10.1086/182779
- Bibcode:
- 1978ApJ...224L.143B
- Keywords:
-
- Angular Velocity;
- Doppler Effect;
- Polar Regions;
- Solar Atmosphere;
- Solar Rotation;
- Stellar Models;
- Vortices;
- Astronomical Spectroscopy;
- Least Squares Method;
- Power Spectra;
- Prandtl Number;
- Rayleigh Number;
- Solar Spectra;
- Wavelengths;
- Solar Physics;
- Solar Atmosphere:Motions;
- Solar Rotation