Polar Faculae during the Sunspot Cycle.

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (72) References (5) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Polar Faculae during the Sunspot Cycle. Sheeley, Neil R., Jr. Abstract The numbers of north and south polar faculae have been counted for the period 1935-1963. The chief result is a variation of the numbers of polar faculae with time, approximately 180 out of phase with the time variation of the sunspot number for the whole solar disk. If the number of polar faculae and sunspot number both are plotted versus time with "polarities," the important feature appears that the numbers of polar faculae lag behind the sunspot number by approximately 90 . This is consistent with the supposition (Leighton 1963, 1964) that the sunspots provide a source of magnetic flux which is carried to the poles in a few years' time by means of a random-walk process associated with the convective supergranulation (Leighton, Noyes, and Simon 1962; Simon 1963) Comparison between the numbers of polar facuiae and measurements of the polar magnetic field since 1952 (Babcock 1961; Howard 1963) suggests that the past observations of polar faculae can be used to extend measurements of polar magnetic field prior to 1952. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: August 1964 DOI: 10.1086/147966 Bibcode: 1964ApJ...140..731S full text sources ADS |