Solar small-scale dynamo and polarity of sunspot groups

Abstract

In order to clarify a possible role of small-scale dynamo in formation of solar magnetic field, we suggest an observational test for small-scale dynamo action based on statistics of anti-Hale sunspot groups. As we have shown, according to theoretical expectations the small-scale dynamo action has to provide a population of sunspot groups which do not follow the Hale polarity law, and the density of such groups on the time-latitude diagram is expected to be independent on the phase of the solar cycle. Correspondingly, a percentage of the anti-Hale groups is expected to reach its maximum values during solar minima. For several solar cycles, we considered statistics of anti-Hale groups obtained by several scientific teams, including ours, to find that the percentage of anti-Hale groups becomes indeed maximal during a solar minimum. Our interpretation is that this fact may be explained by the small-scale dynamo action inside the solar convective zone.

6 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

References in corpus (5)

• Current status of turbulent dynamo theory: From large-scale to small-scale dynamos
• Small-scale solar magnetic fields
• Relationships between magnetic foot points and G-band bright structures
• Re-examining Sunspot Tilt Angle to Include Anti-Hale Statistics
• On Large-Scale Dynamo Action at High Magnetic Reynolds Number

Cited by in corpus (11)

• On-line Tools for Solar Data Compiled at the Debrecen Observatory and their Extensions with the Greenwich Sunspot Data
• A Systematic Study of Hale and Anti-Hale Sunspot Physical Parameters
• Sunspot areas and tilt angles for solar cycles 7-10
• Signature of the turbulent component of solar dynamo on active region scales and its association with flaring activity
• Is the small-scale magnetic field correlated with the dynamo cycle?
• Impact of Anomalous Active Regions on the Large-scale Magnetic Field of the Sun
• Evolution of the Sun's Polar-fields and the Poleward Transport of Remnant Magnetic Flux
• A Catalog of Bipolar Active Regions Violating the Hale Polarity Law, 1989-2018
• Synthetic solar cycle for active regions violating the Hale's polarity law
• Analysis of the flux growth rate in emerging active regions on the Sun
• Naked emergence of an anti-Hale active region I. Overall evolution and magnetic properties