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Polar magnetic fields and coronal holes during the recent solar minima

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2012

Giuliana de Toma
Giuliana de Toma*
Affiliation:
High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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The slow decline of solar Cycle 23 combined with the slow rise of Cycle 24 resulted in a very long period of low magnetic activity during the years 2007–2009 with sunspot number reaching the lowest level since 1913. This long solar minimum was characterized by weak polar magnetic fields, smaller polar coronal holes, and a relatively complex coronal morphology with multiple streamers extending to mid latitudes. At the same time, low latitude coronal holes remained present on the Sun until the end of 2008 modulating the solar wind at the Earth in co-rotating, fast solar wind streams. This magnetic configuration was remarkably different from the one observed during the previous two solar minima when coronal streamers were confined near the equator and the fast solar wind was mainly originating from the large coronal holes around the Sun's poles. This paper presents the evolution of the polar magnetic fields and coronal holes during the past minimum, compare it with the previous minima, and discuss the implications for the solar wind near the Earth. It also considers the minimum of Cycle 23 in an historical perspective and, in particular, compares it to the long minima at the turn of the 19th century.

Keywords

Sun: sunspotscoronasolar wind
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 7 , Symposium S286: Comparative Magnetic Minima: Characterizing quiet times in the Sun and Stars , October 2011 , pp. 101 - 112
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2012

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