Secrets of Sunspots and Solar Magnetic Fields Investigated in NASA Supercomputing Simulations
7 hours ago Charles Rotter 14 Comments
From NASA
This simulation shows the zonal flow patterns inside the Sun. Flow acceleration is shown in red, and deceleration in blue. The inner sphere shows the bottom of the convection zone. The study of these flows in the deep interior of the Sun through analysis of helioseismology data and numerical simulations helps to understand the processes of magnetic field generation and the origin of solar magnetic cycles.
The Sun is much more than just a source of light for Earth – it’s a dynamic and complex star, with storms, flares, and movement causing it to change constantly. Magnetic fields govern most of the solar activity we can observe but how they do this is still poorly understood. New results based on simulations out of NASA’s Advanced Supercomputing facility at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley are painting a more complete picture of one of the most prominent magnetically-driven solar features – a cycle of sunspot formation known as a “torsional oscillation.”
A computational analysis of data about the Sun’s structure and dynamics from two NASA spacecraft has revealed the strength of these torsional oscillations driven by the magnetic fields in the deep interior of the Sun are continuing to decline. This indicates that the current sunspot cycle may be weaker than the previous one, and the long-term trend of declining magnetic fields of the Sun is likely to continue. Such changes in the Sun’s interior may have impacts on space weather and the Earth’s atmosphere and climate.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/12/01/secrets-of-sunspots-and-solar-magnetic-fields-investigated-in-nasa-supercomputing-simulations/
