The Divergence of CME and Sunspot Number Rates During Solar Cycle 24
Abstract
In the previous three solar cycles the frequency of occurrence of CMEs observed in white light has closely tracked the solar cycle in both phase and amplitude, varying by an order of magnitude over the cycle. LASCO has now observed the entire solar Cycle 23 and continues to observe through the current rise and maximum phases of Cycle 24. Cycle 23 had an unusually long decline and extended minimum. During this period we have been able to image and count CMEs in the heliosphere, and can determine rates from both LASCO and STEREO SECCHI (since 2007) coronagraphs and from the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI - since 2003) and the SECCHI Heliospheric Imagers in the heliosphere. Manual rates estimated by observers are now supplemented by counts from identifications made by automatic programs, such as contained in the SEEDS, CACTus and ARTEMIS catalogs. Since the cycle 23/24 minimum, the CME and sunspot number rates have diverged, with similar cycle 23/24 rise and peak CME rates but much lower SSN rates in this cycle. We will discuss these rate estimates and their implications for the evolution of the global solar magnetic field.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #224
- Pub Date:
- June 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014AAS...22421804W