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The Sun’s enduring mysteries To prepare for the coming years What we know What we don’t understand What is important Axel Brandenburg (Nordita, Stockholm)
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Coming years? New satellites (Solar Orbiter, …) –Out of ecliptic (like Ulysses) Ground based (ATST) –Science goals: solar magnetism, variability Helioseismology: global & local –Precursors to erruptions More global simulations –Coupled to exterior (corona, wind, …) 2
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Monitoring & observing Solar orbiter: 2017 (ESA/NASA) –(45 R = 0.2 AU, heliosynch, + solar probe) SDO: 2010 (NASA, geosynch) Stereo: 2006 (NASA), 2 space crafts SOHO: 1995 (ESA/NASA) Ulysses: 1990 (NASA/ESA) 3
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Further reading M. Stix “Solar Physics” Springer Wikipedia: … A. Kosovichev et al. “Triennial report of IAU commission 12” ADS –search on titles/abstracts 4
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5 What we know about the Sun
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What we understand Source of energy: nuclear (not thermal) Internal structure: 15 M Kelvin core temp. Depth of convection zone Solar granulation Solar wind (Parker 1958) Differential rotation (except details) Dynamo theory in general Coronal heating (Parker’s nano flare idea) … 6
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15 M Kelvin? solar neutrino problem 7 1968: accurate measurements
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Input from helioseismology 8
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9 5 min oscillations helioseismology Discovered in 1960 (Leighton et al. 1962) Was thought to be response of upper atmosphere to convection
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10 5 min osc are global Roger Ulrich (1970) Franz-Ludwig Deubner (1974)
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11 Degree l, order m
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12 GONG global oscillation network group Since late 1980ties
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13 Current state of the art SOHO Space craft 1993 – 2014 (lost in 1998)
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14 Only p-modes observed
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15 Refraction Reflection Top: reflection when wavenlength ~ density scale height Deeper down: Sound speed large
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16 Inversion: input/output Duval law: collapsed k -diagram Sound speed Abel integral eqn
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17 What else from helioseismology? spoke-like at equ. d /dr>0 at bottom d /dr<0 at top Rigid below CZ
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18 Active region subsurface flows Hindman et al. (2009, ApJ) Ring diagram analysis
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19 Surface flows: granulation Horizontal size L=1 Mm, sound speed 6 km/s Correlation time 5 min = sound travel time Nordlund, Stein, Scharmer, and others
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not What is not well understood Unexpected abundence revisions Mixing beneath convection zone Spoke-like differential rotation Location of solar dynamo What releases coronal mass ejections 20
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21 Revised solar abundances
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22 In conflict with helioseismology
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23 Overshoot below convection zone Charbonnel et al. (1999)Tschaepe & Rudiger (1999) Lithium is primordial Burns at T > 2.6 M Kelvin Some distance below CZ: But why is depletion 1/140 And not all?
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24 Sunspots
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25 Large scale coherence Active regions, bi-polarity systematic east-west orientation opposite in the south
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26 Buoyant rise of flux tubes
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27 Solar 11 year sunspot cycle Sunspots between +/- 30 degrees around equator: why? New cycle begins at high latitude Ends at low latitudes –equatorward migration: why? butterfly diagram
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28 -effect dynamos (large scale) Differential rotation (faster inside) Cyclonic convection; Buoyant flux tubes Equatorward migration New loop - effect
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29 How deeply seated? Clues from helioseismology: (r, ) No cyclic modulation at great depth
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30 Sunspot predictions (of 2008)
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31 Sunspot predictions (current)
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32 Predicting Solar Activity Sunspots Polar Fields Solar Prediction Panel, 2006 Observations and theory suggest that the magnetic field at the poles of the Sun at solar minimum is a good predictor of the next solar cycle. Theory: Deep circu- lation? The low polar fields at the recent solar minimum predicted a small cycle 24 Sunspots 24 23 22 21 MWO* WSO ?
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33 Asymmetric Solar Activity Spots & Groups 18
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34 Cycic Maunder mininum: 10 Be record
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Brun, Brown, Browning, Miesch, Toomre 35
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36 Cycle now common! Activity from bottom of CZ but at high latitudes Ghizaru, Charbonneau, Racine, …
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Pencil code Käpylä, Mantere, Brandenburg (2012)
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38 Dynamo wave from simulations Kapyla et al (2012)
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39 Importance of solar activity
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Historic space weather events 21 Dec 1806 Humbold: erratic compass var. 1 Sep 1859 Carrington flare: telegraphs disr. 40
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More recent weather events 2 Aug 1972: life-threatening particle expos. –Apollo 16: 16 Apr 1972 –Apollo 17: 7 Dec 1972 13 Mar 1989: Quebec blackout Aug 1989: halt of all trading in Toronto –Story in New Scientist of 9 Sept Now routinely rerouting transpolar routes 41
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42 Need a holistic approach Warnecke, Brandenburg, Mitra (2011, A&A, 534, A11)
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