Short-Term Variations in the Equatorial Rotation Rate of Sunspot Groups [SSA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1610.06710


We have detected several periodicities in the solar equatorial rotation rate of sunspot groups in the Greenwich Photoheliographic Results (GPR) during the period 1931-1976, the Solar Optical Observing Network (SOON) during the period 1977-2014, and the Debrecen Photoheliographic Data (DPD) during the period 1974-2014. Our results suggest a ~250-day period in the equatorial rotation rate determined from both the Mt. Wilson Doppler-velocity data and the sunspot-group data during 1986-2007. However, a wavelet analysis reveals that this periodicity appears mostly around 1991 in the velocity data, while it is present in most of the solar cycles covered by the sunspot-group data, mainly near the minimum epochs of the solar cycles. We also found the signature of a period of ~1.4 years period in the velocity data during 1990-1995, and in the equatorial rotation rate of sunspot groups mostly around the year 1956. The equatorial rotation rate of sunspot groups reveals a strong ~1.6-year periodicity around 1933 and 1955 and a weaker one around 1976, and a strong ~1.8-year periodicity around 1943. Our analysis also suggests periodicities of ~5 years, ~7 years, and ~17 years as well as some other short-term periodicities. However, short-term periodicities are mostly present at the time of solar minima. Hence, short-term periodicities cannot be confirmed because of the larger uncertainty in the data.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Javaraiah and L. Bertello
Mon, 24 Oct 16
27/53

Comments: 20 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Solar Physics