A Different View of Solar Spectral Irradiance Variations: Modeling Total Energy of a Solar Outburst Period in 2005 and its Comparison to Solar Cycle 23 and 24 Measured Variability
Abstract
A different approach to studying solar spectral irradiance (SSI) variations, without the need for long-term (multi-year) instrument degradation corrections, is by examining the total energy of the irradiance variation during solar outburst periods. A solar active region typically appears suddenly and then takes about seven months to decay and disperse back into the quiet Sun network. An outburst period is defined as a time when one major active region dominates the irradiance variation. The solar outburst energy, which includes the energy from all phases of active region evolution, could be considered the primary cause for irradiance variations. Because solar cycle variation is the consequence of multiple active region outbursts, understanding the variation from a single active region outburst can provide a reasonable estimate of the variations for the 11-year solar activity cycle. The moderate-term (~6 months) variations from the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) instruments during a solar outburst period in early 2005 are decomposed into positive (in-phase with solar cycle) and negative (out-of-phase) contributions by modeling the variations using the San Fernando Observatory (SFO) facular excess and sunspot deficit proxies, respectively. These fitted excess and deficit variations are then integrated over time for the energy during this outburst period, and the dominant component indicates which wavelengths are in-phase and which are out-of-phase with solar activity. The results from this study indicate out-of-phase variations for the 1210-1600 nm range, with all other wavelengths having in-phase variations.
- Publication:
-
IAU General Assembly
- Pub Date:
- August 2015
- Bibcode:
- 2015IAUGA..2224203W