Buoyancy of magnetic fields and the 11-year cycle of solar activity

The paper evaluates the characteristic buoyancy time of localized intensified fields from the convection zone to the surface of the sun. These fields are responsible for the occurrence of active regions; it is shown that within the accuracy of computations, this time period coincides with the 11-year cycle of activity if the drag mechanism is due to turbulent viscosity in the convection zone. It is also shown that for the commonly used value of turbulent viscosity, the buoyancy time is about 10 years and possibly defines the period of activity of the sun.