Evolutionary and Flare Characteristics of Prolonged Phases of Solar Minimum

The current 24 solar cycle (SC), which opened second epoch of the lowered solar activity (SA) entered the last period of its development (W*≤5 to the minimum), which can be prolonged of up to 1.5-2 years. According to the scenario of solar cyclicity the second epoch of lowered SA will overlap two thirds of 21 century. The development of SC in the phases of the minima makes it possible to isolate two groups of the SA decrease with the characteristic times 19 (+10/-6) and 43 (+2/-4) months. The first group (cycles 10-11 and 16-23) includes all SC of the epochs of increased SA, and 2 SC (11 and 23) of transition periods. All SC of second group (12-15 and 24) - SC of lowered SA epochs (except SC 16). The periods of beginning following SC are determined by the strength of new SC: more active (high) cycles, as a rule, begin their increase earlier (through 8-15 months), although there were two noticeable exceptions: SC17, and 22..