Dynamo Models of the Solar Cycle

By Paul Charbonneau. 2005

717 citations recorded by the source corpus.

This paper reviews recent advances and current debates in modeling the solar cycle as a hydromagnetic dynamo process. Emphasis is placed on (relatively) simple dynamo models that are nonetheless detailed enough to be comparable to solar cycle observations. After a brief overview of the dynamo problem and of key observational constraints, we begin by reviewing the various magnetic field regeneration mechanisms that have been proposed in the solar context. We move on to a presentation and critical discussion of extant solar cycle models based on these mechanisms. We then turn to the origin and consequences of fluctuations in these models, including amplitude and parity modulation, chaotic behavior, intermittency, and predictability. The paper concludes with a discussion of our current state of ignorance regarding various key questions relating to the explanatory framework offered by dynamo models of the solar cycle.

Subfields: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Molecular Biology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/bbe069c64de3f43879dc8a57902fe44728fd307d

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Astronomy and Astrophysics

In Molecular Biology

Citations in the corpus

From the Wolf number to the International Sunspot Index: 25 years of SIDC (2007, background): “Recent analyses of solar activity tracers and dynamo models (e.g. Swinson et al., 1986; Antonucci et al., 1990; Ossendrijver, 2003; Charbonneau, 2005a, 2007) have shown the importance of treating separately the North and South hemispheres of the Sun.”
The magnetic field in the solar atmosphere (2014, background): “Outside the scope of this paper is the generation of the solar magnetic field by dynamo processes (for comprehensive reviews see Ossendrijver, 2003; Charbonneau, 2010).”
Progress in Solar Cycle Predictions: Sunspot Cycles 24–25 in Perspective (2020, background): “magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) dynamo mechanism that is sustained by complex interactions between plasma ﬂows and magnetic ﬁelds in the Sun’s convection zone (Parker, 1955a; Babcock, 1961; Leighton, 1969; Charbonneau, 2020). The toroidal component of the dynamo generated magnetic ﬁeld buoyantly emerges t”
The stellar rotation–activity relationship in fully convective M dwarfs (2018, background): “For more details of the solar dynamo process see Charbonneau (2010).”
The Solar Cycle (2010, methodology): “Since the following-polarity is opposite in sign to the polar fields at the start of each cycle, the poleward transport of this flux by diffusion and the meridional flow leads to the polar field reversals at cycle maximum and the build up of new polar fields during the declining phase of each cycle ”
Solar change and climate: an update in the light of the current exceptional solar minimum (2010, background): “Hence, modern models of the solar dynamo rely on the velocity shear at the tachocline to achieve toroidal ﬁeld ampliﬁcation, and the ﬁeld is stably stored in an ‘overshoot layer’ just below the RZ–CZ transition (Nandy 2003; Charbonneau 2005).”
Solar Forcing for CMIP6 (v3.1) (2016, background): “This situation prevailed until the early 21st century, when physical models of the magnetic dynamo that drives solar activity started unveiling a more realistic picture (Charbonneau, 2010).”
Magnetic Fields in the Solar Convection Zone (2004, background): “…convection zone (e.g Schüssler, 2002), in this review, we only focus on the emergence process of active region scale flux tubes, which are generally thought to originate from a deep seated solar cycle dynamo operating at the base of the solar convection zone (see e.g. review by Charbonneau, 2005).”
A History of Solar Activity over Millennia (2008, neutral): “Corresponding theoretical dynamo models have been developed (see reviews by Ossendrijver, 2003; Charbonneau, 2005), which include stochastic processes (Weiss et al., 1984; Feynman and Gabriel, 1990; Schmalz and Stix, 1991; Moss et al., 1992; Brooke and Moss, 1994; Lawrence et al., 1995; Schmitt et…”
Observations of Cool-Star Magnetic Fields (2012, methodology): “For overviews on the solar dynamo and theoretical backgrounds, I refer to the many reviews on this topic, for example Ossendrijver (2003) and Charbonneau (2010).”
A BCool magnetic snapshot survey of solar-type stars (2013, background): “the radiative and convective zones qualitatively explains the generation of toroidal and poloidal fields, the presence of a solar activity cycle, and the strong dependence of activity on stellar rotation (Parker 1955; Charbonneau 2010).”
A History of Solar Activity over Millennia (2008, background): “Corresponding theoretical dynamo models have been developed (see reviews by Ossendrijver, 2003; Charbonneau, 2005), which include stochastic processes (Weiss et al.”
Magnetic Flux Transport at the Solar Surface (2014, methodology): “The magnetic fields on the Sun are generated by dynamo action,ultimately driven by convective motions beneath the Sun’s surface (Charbonneau 2010).”
The Solar Cycle (2007, methodology): “Here we examine the nature of the solar cycle and the characteristics that must be explained by any viable dynamo model (cf. Charbonneau, 2005).”