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The recent solar minimum How unprecedent is the Sun's behavior?

University of Bern, 17th November 2010. The recent solar minimum How unprecedent is the Sun's behavior?. Andrea Opitz CESR (CNRS-UPS) University of Toulouse, France. Solar - terrestrial relations. Solar activity cycles. SOHO (NASA/ESA). Solar activity cycles.

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The recent solar minimum How unprecedent is the Sun's behavior?

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  1. University of Bern, 17th November 2010 The recent solar minimumHow unprecedent is the Sun's behavior? Andrea Opitz CESR (CNRS-UPS) University of Toulouse, France

  2. Solar - terrestrial relations

  3. Solar activity cycles SOHO (NASA/ESA)

  4. Solar activity cycles  Few hundred years of sunspot record available David Hathaway, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center  Space Age (1960's - today): just a few solar cycles, low statistics

  5. SOHO/EIT (ESA/NASA)

  6. Out-of-ecliptic view

  7. SW velocity vs. latitude Solar minimum Solar maximum Now McComas et al. GRL 2008

  8. In-ecliptic view

  9. Twin STEREO spacecraft Opitz, Karrer, Wurz et al. 2009 Solar Physics

  10. STEREO PLASTIC  SW bulk velocity  SW temperature  SW density Group: P. Bochsler, P. Wurz, R. Karrer, A. Opitz, L. Blush, H. Daoudi, J. Fischer, M. Sigrist et al. (UoBe) A. B. Galvin, L. Kistler et al. (UNH)

  11. Temporal evolution of the solar wind Opitz et al. 2009, Solar Physics PLASTIC proton velocity  0.5 day: ~0.95 2 days: ~0.85 STA STB Opitz et al. 2010, Solar Physics SWEA electron density  0.5 day: ~0.80 2 days: ~0.65 STA STB SWEA

  12. Temporal evolution by cross-correlation STA STB timelag of ~6 days Riley, Luhmann, Opitz, Linker, and Mikic 2010 JGR

  13. Recent Sun and solar wind observations: Facts • longer solar activity minimum • solar magnetic field weaker • coronal holes at low latitudes • recurrent stream structure broader • low solar wind densities • total solar irradiance lower

  14. Solar activity minimum: longer Russell, Luhmann, Jian et al. 2010

  15. Solar polar magnetic field: weaker red: South blue: North Wilcox Solar Observatory

  16. SW velocity vs. latitude Solar minimum Solar maximum Now McComas et al. GRL 2008

  17. Recurrent stream structure:stronger and broader Gibson et al. 2009

  18. Terrestrial response 1 • Quiet solar minimum, though geoeffective. • Interaction of the strong, broad stream structures with the terrestrial magnetosphere. • Proof: sunspot number alone can not give a good prediction.

  19. Solar irradiance  TSI lower  UV lower  visible higher Haigh 2007

  20. Solar irradiance: EUV Solomon et al. 2010

  21. Terrestrial response 2 • Opportunity to separate the climatic effects of solar and anthropogenic sources. • Total solar irradiance lower. • Spectral solar irradiance: UV lower, visible higher. • Maunder and Dalton minimums

  22. Russell, Luhmann, Jian 2010

  23. Solar maximum predictions • weaker • normal • stronger

  24. Solar eruption risks • telegraph system collapsed in 1859 • electric network collapsed in 1989 • electric, oil and gas network • satellites: GPS, communication and scientific • pilots and astronauts • radio communication

  25. Summary • longer solar activity minimum • solar magnetic field weaker • coronal holes at low latitudes • recurrent stream structure broader • low solar wind densities • total solar irradiance lower

  26. Questions to the audience • How much does such an unprecedent solar behavior influence your work? • Climatology? • Planetology? • Cosmic rays? • Space instrumentation? • Solar and Stellar Physics? Dr. Andrea OPITZ, CESR (CNRS-UPS), University of Toulouse, France

  27. Acknowledgements • Cecile Bonneau: 'Science et vie' -> Nov/Dec 2010 • Janet Luhmann: solar wind structures • STEREO PLASTIC: P. Bochsler, P. Wurz, R. Karrer, A. Opitz, L. Blush et al. (UoBe) + UNH

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