Multi-decadal evolution of the solar coronal magnetic field |
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Author: | Koskela, Jennimari1,2 |
Organizations: |
1University of Oulu Graduate School 2University of Oulu, Faculty of Science, Physics |
Format: | ebook |
Version: | published version |
Persistent link: | http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789526223605 |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Oulu : University of Oulu,
2019
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Thesis type: | Doctoral Dissertation |
Defence Note: | Academic Dissertation to be presented, with the assent of the Graduate School of the University of Oulu, for public discussion in the Auditorium L10, Linnanmaa, on October 18th, 2019, at 12 o’clock noon. |
Tutor: |
Professor Kalevi Mursula Doctor Ilpo Virtanen |
Reviewer: |
Doctor Geza Erdös Doctor Andres Muños-Jaramillo |
Opponent: |
Doctor Alexis Rouillard |
Kustos: |
Professor Kalevi Mursula |
Description: |
AbstractSolar coronal magnetic field is the source of the heliospheric magnetic field, and it drives many of the heliospheric processes affecting the Earth. In this thesis we study the long-term evolution of the solar coronal magnetic field by using two different models, the potential field source surface (PFSS) model and the current sheet source surface (CSSS) model. We cover the past four solar activity cycles from 1976 until 2017. We compare the prediction capability of the PFSS model on the topology and intensity of the heliospheric magnetic field. We find that the PFSS model can predict the overall topology of the coronal field fairly well, with an accuracy of about 80 %, over the whole period of study. We find that on average the optimum value for the source surface parameter of the PFSS model is 3.5, which is slightly larger than the traditionally used value of 2.5 solar radii. We also find a temporal variation for the optimum source surface distance, it being on average highest during solar minima. However, during the peculiar solar cycle 23 minimum in 2008 the optimum source surface distance remained small, showing a shrinking of the solar corona during the latest solar cycles. The CSSS model is not able to much improve the topology of the PFSS model, despite its more complex current system. However, the CSSS model can produce a larger total coronal flux than the PFSS model, and it corrects the latitudinal variation of the PFSS model field. The heliospheric current sheet has been observed in several earlier studies to be systematically southward shifted in the late declining and minimum phase of the solar cycle, both in the corona and in the heliosphere. We compare the simultaneous coronal and heliospheric shifts, and find that the shift is consistently larger in the corona than at the Earth’s distance during the 20th century. In 2008 such a clear difference between the shift in the two locations is seen no longer. see all
Osajulkaisut / Original papersOsajulkaisut eivät sisälly väitöskirjan elektroniseen versioon / Original papers are not included in the electronic version of the dissertation.
see all
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Series: |
Report series in physical sciences |
ISSN: | 1239-4327 |
ISSN-L: | 1239-4327 |
ISBN: | 978-952-62-2360-5 |
ISBN Print: | 978-952-62-2359-9 |
Issue: | 131 |
Type of Publication: |
G5 Doctoral dissertation (articles) |
Field of Science: |
114 Physical sciences 115 Astronomy and space science |
Subjects: |