Solar Meridional Flows: Recent Findings

Abstract

AbstractWe report new measurements of the sun’s global meridional circulation within the near-surface shear layer for the years 1996 to 2003. The flows are obtained using the local helioseismic technique of ring analysis applied to MDI Dynamics Program data. The most recent estimates of the solar p-angle correction to this data have been incorporated. Previously published accounts that the solar meridional circulation possesses multiple cells within the northern hemisphere (Haber et al. 2002) are not contradicted by the new findings. We do find, however, that with the inclusion of the p-angle correction, cross-equator flows have been eliminated.