On Polar Magnetic Field Reversal in Solar Cycles 21, 22, 23, and 24

Abstract

The Sun's polar magnetic fields change their polarity near the maximum of sunspot activity. We analyzed the polarity reversal epochs in Solar Cycles 21 to 24. There was a triple reversal in the N-hemisphere in Solar Cycle 24 and single reversals in the rest of cases. Epochs of the polarity reversal from measurements of the Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO) are compared with ones when the reversals were completed in the N- and S-hemispheres. The reversal times were compared with hemispherical sunspot activity and with the Heliospheric Current Sheet (HCS) tilts, too. It was found that reversals occurred at the epoch of the sunspot activity maximum in Cycles 21 and 23, and after the corresponding maxima in Cycles 22 and 24, and one-two years after maximal HCS tilts calculated in WSO. Reversals in Solar Cycles 21, 22, 23, and 24 were completed first in the N-hemisphere and then in the S-hemisphere after 0.6, 1.1, 0.7, and 0.9 years, respectively. The polarity inversion in the near-polar latitude range \pm(55-90)^\circ occurred from 0.5 to 2.0 years earlier that the times when the reversals were completed in corresponding hemisphere. Using the maximal smoothed WSO polar field as precursor we estimated that amplitude of Solar Cycle 25 will reach 116 \pm 12 in values of smoothed monthly sunspot numbers and will be comparable with the current cycle amplitude equaled to 116.4.

12 pages with 6 figures and 1 table

References in corpus (4)

• Prediction of the strength and timing of sunspot cycle 25 reveal decadal-scale space environmental conditions
• On Polar Magnetic Field Reversal and Surface Flux Transport During Solar Cycle 24
• Will Solar Cycles 25 and 26 Be Weaker than Cycle 24 ?
• Evolution of the Sun's Polar-fields and the Poleward Transport of Remnant Magnetic Flux

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Numerical modeling of cosmic rays in the heliosphere: Analysis of proton data from AMS-02 and PAMELA
• North-South Asymmetry in Solar Activity and Solar Cycle Prediction, V: Prediction for the North-South Asymmetry in the Amplitude of Solar Cycle 25
• Spotless days and geomagnetic index as the predictors of solar cycle 25
• Long-term variation of the solar polar magnetic fields at different latitudes
• Coronal magnetic field evolution over the cycle 24
• Hemispheric Distribution of Solar Active Regions During Solar Cycles 23-25
• Ripples and Rush-to-the-Poles in the photospheric magnetic field
• Asymmetric Distribution of the Solar Photospheric Magnetic Field Values