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A Clock in the Sun?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2020

C. T. Russell ,
J. G. Luhmann Open the ORCID record for J. G. Luhmann [Opens in a new window]  and
L. K. Jian
C. T. Russell
Affiliation:
Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095, USA
J. G. Luhmann
Affiliation:
Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720, USA
L. K. Jian
Affiliation:
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771
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Abstract

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The sunspot cycle is quite variable in duration and amplitude, yet in the long term, it seems to return to solar minimum on schedule, as if guided by a clock with an average period of close to 11.05 years for the sunspot number cycle and 22.1 years for the magnetic cycle. This paper provides a brief review of the sunspot number cycle since 1750, discusses some of the processes controlling the solar dynamo, and provides clues that may add to our understanding of what controls the cadence of the solar clock.

Keywords

solar cyclesolar dynamosunspot number
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 15 , Symposium S354: Solar and Stellar Magnetic Fields: Origins and Manifestations , June 2019 , pp. 127 - 133
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with International Astronomical Union

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