The origin of anomalous disturbances in the heliosphere and their geophysical manifestations

Abstract

It is established that long-term variations of both the large-scale and global magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere are nonmonotonic. The existence of periods of fast global changes on the Sun is found in each 11-year cycle of solar activity. These variations are accompanied by anomalous manifestations in both the heliosphere and the geomagnetic field. These periods are regularly repeated in each cycle of solar activity. They are characterized by elevated flaring activity that reflects fast variations of magnetic structures. The concept of universality of physical processes, which includes interactions of different-scale magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere and manifestations of these processes in the solar atmosphere, is developed. This concept is confirmed by the comprehensive analysis of helio-geophysical data. In accordance with the model of the solar-wind formation [1‐3], properties of the heliosphere such as the space-time distribution of the solar wind velocity, the particle flux, and the interplanetary magnetic field are determined by large-scale solar magnetic fields existing on and by their dynamics. The origin of the large-scale inhomogeneities in the solar wind are of particular interest. On the one hand, they are manifestations of the solar variability in interplanetary space. On the other hand, they are the principal cause for disturbances of the geomagnetic field. The basic sources of the inhomogeneities are coronal holes, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections. Studies of these ejections are important for both understanding the formation mechanisms of the unsteady solar wind and predicting the space weather conditions, because the strongest geophysical disturbances are associated with sporadic phenomena occurring on the Sun. In [1, 2], periods of fast global variations of the solar magnetic fields were discovered. These variations are characteristic of each 11-year cycle of solar activity and are accompanied by anomalous disturbances of the solar wind, interplanetary magnetic field, cosmic-ray intensity, and geomagnetic activity.