Solar Differential Rotation and Meridional Flow: The Role of a Subadiabatic Tachocline for the Taylor-Proudman Balance

By Matthias Rempel. 2005

186 citations recorded by the source corpus.

We present a simple model for the solar differential rotation and meridional circulation based on a mean field parameterization of the Reynolds stresses that drive the differential rotation. We include the subadiabatic part of the tachocline and show that this, in conjunction with turbulent heat conductivity within the convection zone and overshoot region, provides the key physics to break the Taylor-Proudman constraint, which dictates differential rotation with contour lines parallel to the axis of rotation in case of an isentropic stratification. We show that differential rotation with contour lines inclined by 10°-30° with respect to the axis of rotation is a robust result of the model, which does not depend on the details of the Reynolds stress and the assumed viscosity, as long as the Reynolds stress transports angular momentum toward the equator. The meridional flow is more sensitive with respect to the details of the assumed Reynolds stress, but a flow cell, equatorward at the base of the convection zone and poleward in the upper half of the convection zone, is the preferred flow pattern.

Subfields: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Molecular Biology, Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/b11b4ec1725780344d2fcddfb803e2b341ecb17a

How researchers see this paper

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In Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. M. Browning
2. Mark S. Miesch
3. A. Brun
4. J. Toomre
5. Paul Charbonneau
6. Matthias Rempel
7. Benjamin P. Brown
8. M. DeRosa

In Molecular Biology

1. Mark S. Miesch
2. M. Browning
3. J. Toomre
4. A. Brun
5. Paul Charbonneau
6. Matthias Rempel
7. Benjamin P. Brown
8. M. DeRosa

In Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

1. Mark S. Miesch
2. J. Toomre
3. A. Brun
4. A. Birch
5. H. Spruit
6. Laurent Gizon
7. Benjamin P. Brown
8. M. Browning

Citations in the corpus

• PERSISTENT MAGNETIC WREATHS IN A RAPIDLY ROTATING SUN (2010, background): “The tilt ofΩ contours in the Sun may be due in part to the thermal structure of the solar tachocline, as first found in the mean-field models of Rempel (2005) and then in 3D simulations of global-scale convection by Miesch et al. (2006).”
• Local Helioseismology: Three-Dimensional Imaging of the Solar Interior (2010, methodology): “These simulations rely on the presence of a small latitudinal entropy gradient to establish solar-like differential rotation as suggested by Rempel (2005).”
• MAGNETIC CYCLES IN A CONVECTIVE DYNAMO SIMULATION OF A YOUNG SOLAR-TYPE STAR (2011, background): “The main effect is to tilt theΩ contours toward a more radial alignment (Rempel 2005; Miesch et al. 2006).”
• Solar Differential Rotation Influenced by Latitudinal Entropy Variations in the Tachocline (2006, methodology): “Thus, recent mean-field models that produce solar-like (conical) rotation profiles generally do so by means of baroclinic forcing (Durney 2001; Küker & Stix 2001; Kitchatinov & Rüdiger 2005; Rempel 2005).”
• Structure and Evolution of Giant Cells in Global Models of Solar Convection (2007, background): “These are associated with magnetic activity which lies beyond the scope of our current model (e.g. Covas et al. 2000; Spruit 2003; Rempel 2005, 2007).”
• Flux-Transport Dynamos with Lorentz Force Feedback on Differential Rotation and Meridional Flow: Saturation Mechanism and Torsional Oscillations (2006, methodology): “In this paper we build upon the differential rotation model presented in Rempel (2005b) and combine it with the axisymmetric meanfield dynamo equations.”