PHYSICAL ORIGIN OF DIFFERENCES AMONG VARIOUS MEASURES OF SOLAR MERIDIONAL CIRCULATION

Authors:
  • MDMausumi Dikpati
    Mausumi Dikpati
  • PGPeter A. Gilman
    Peter A. Gilman
  • RURoger K. Ulrich
    Roger K. Ulrich
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Abstract
We show that systematic differences between surface Doppler and magnetic element tracking measures of solar meridional flow can be explained by the effects of surface turbulent magnetic diffusion. Feature-tracking speeds are lower than plasma speeds in low and mid-latitudes, because magnetic diffusion opposes poleward plasma flow in low-latitudes whereas it adds to plasma flow at high latitudes. Flux transport dynamo models must input plasma flow; the model-outputs yield estimates of the surface magnetic feature tracking speed. We demonstrate that the differences between plasma speed and magnetic pattern speed in a flux-transport dynamo are consistent with the observed difference between these speeds.
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