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Extremely low geomagnetic activity during the recent deep solar cycle minimum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2012

E. Echer ,
B. T. Tsurutani  and
W. D. Gonzalez
E. Echer
Affiliation:
National Institute for Space Research (INPE), S. J. Campos, SP, Brazil email: [email protected], [email protected]
B. T. Tsurutani
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL), California Institute of Technology (CALTECH)Pasadena, CA, USA email: [email protected]
W. D. Gonzalez
Affiliation:
National Institute for Space Research (INPE), S. J. Campos, SP, Brazil email: [email protected], [email protected]
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Abstract

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The recent solar minimum (2008-2009) was extreme in several aspects: the sunspot number, Rz, interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) magnitude Bo and solar wind speed Vsw were the lowest during the space era. Furthermore, the variance of the IMF southward Bz component was low. As a consequence of these exceedingly low solar wind parameters, there was a minimum in the energy transfer from solar wind to the magnetosphere, and the geomagnetic activity ap index reached extremely low levels. The minimum in geomagnetic activity was delayed in relation to sunspot cycle minimum. We compare the solar wind and geomagnetic activity observed in this recent minimum with previous solar cycle values during the space era (1964-2010). Moreover, the geomagnetic activity conditions during the current minimum are compared with long term variability during the period of available geomagnetic observations. The extremely low geomagnetic activity observed in this solar minimum was previously recorded only at the end of XIX century and at the beginning of the XX century, and this might be related to the Gleissberg (80-100 years) solar cycle.

Keywords

Sun: activitySun: magnetic fieldssolar-terrestrial relationssolar 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. 200 - 209
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2012

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