arXiv subjects

Mausumi Dikpati

Publications and source records attributed to Mausumi Dikpati.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Observations and modelling of North-South asymmetries using a Flux Transport Dynamo

The peculiar behaviour of the solar cycle 23 and its prolonged minima has been one of the most studied problems over the last few years. In the present paper, we study the asymmetries in active region magnetic flux in the northern and southern hemispheres during complete solar cycle 23 and rising phase of solar cycle 24. During the declining phase of solar cycle 23, we find that the magnetic flux in the southern hemisphere is about 10 times stronger than that in the northern hemisphere during the declining phase of the solar cycle 23 and during the rising phase of cycle 24, however, this trend reversed. The magnetic flux becomes about a factor of 4 stronger in the northern hemisphere to that of southern hemisphere. Additionally, we find that there was significant delay (about 5 months) in change of the polarity in the southern hemisphere in comparison with the northern hemisphere. These results provide us with hints of how the toroidal fluxes have contributed to the solar dynamo during the prolonged minima in the solar cycle 23 and in the rising phase of the solar cycle 24. Using a solar flux-transport dynamo model, we demonstrate that persistently stronger sunspot cycles in one hemisphere could be caused by the effect of greater inflows into active region belts in that hemisphere. Observations indicate that greater inflows are associated with stronger activity. Some other change or difference in meridional circulation between hemispheres could cause the weaker hemisphere to become the stronger one.

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arXiv2014

Ensemble Kalman filter data assimilation in a Babcock-Leighton solar dynamo model: an observation system simulation experiment for reconstructing meridional flow-speed

Accurate knowledge of time-variation in meridional flow-speed and profile is crucial for estimating a solar cycle's features, which are ultimately responsible for causing space climate variations. However, no consensus has been reached yet about the Sun's meridional circulation pattern observations and theories. By implementing an Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) data assimilation in a Babcock-Leighton solar dynamo model using Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) framework, we find that the best reconstruction of time-variation in meridional flow-speed can be obtained when ten or more observations are used with an updating time of 15 days and a $\le 10\%$ observational error. Increasing ensemble-size from 16 to 160 improves reconstruction. Comparison of reconstructed flow-speed with "true-state" reveals that EnKF data assimilation is very powerful for reconstructing meridional flow-speeds and suggests that it can be implemented for reconstructing spatio-temporal patterns of meridional circulation.

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arXiv2014

A 3D Babcock-Leighton Solar Dynamo Model

We present a 3D kinematic solar dynamo model in which poloidal field is generated by the emergence and dispersal of tilted sunspot pairs (more generally Bipolar Magnetic Regions, or BMRs). The axisymmetric component of this model functions similarly to previous 2D Babcock-Leighton (BL) dynamo models that employ a double-ring prescription for poloidal field generation but we generalize this prescription into a 3D flux emergence algorithm that places BMRs on the surface in response to the dynamo-generated toroidal field. In this way, the model can be regarded as a unification of BL dynamo models (2D in radius/latitude) and surface flux transport models (2D in latitude/longitude) into a more self-consistent framework that captures the full 3D structure of the evolving magnetic field. The model reproduces some basic features of the solar cycle including an 11-yr periodicity, equatorward migration of toroidal flux in the deep convection zone, and poleward propagation of poloidal flux at the surface. The poleward-propagating surface flux originates as trailing flux in BMRs, migrates poleward in multiple non-axisymmetric streams (made axisymmetric by differential rotation and turbulent diffusion), and eventually reverses the polar field, thus sustaining the dynamo. In this letter we briefly describe the model, initial results, and future plans.

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arXiv2013

Meridional Circulation From Differential Rotation in an Adiabatically Stratified Solar/Stellar Convection Zone

Meridional circulation in stellar convection zones is not generally well observed, but may be critical for MHD dynamos. Coriolis forces from differential rotation (DR) play a large role in determining what the meridional circulation is. Here we consider whether a stellar DR that is constant on cylinders concentric with the rotation axis can drive a meridional circulation.Conventional wisdom says that it can not. Using two related forms of governing equations that respectively estimate the longitudinal components of the curl of meridional mass flux and the vorticity, we show that such DR will drive a meridional flow. This is because to satisfy anelastic mass conservation, non-spherically symmetric pressure contours must be present for all DRs, not just ones that depart from constancy on cylinders concentric with the rotation axis. Therefore the fluid is always baroclinic if DR is present, because, in anelastic systems, the perturbation pressure must satisfy a Poisson type equation, as well as an equation of state and a thermodynamic equation. We support our qualitative reasoning with numerical examples, and show that meridional circulation is sensitive to the magnitude and form of departures from rotation constant on cylinders. The effect should be present in 3D global anelastic convection simulations, particularly those for which the DR driven by global convection is nearly cylindrical in profile. For solar-like DR, Coriolis forces generally drive a two-celled circulation in each hemisphere, with a second, reversed flow at high latitudes. For solar like turbulent viscosities, the meridional circulation produced by Coriolis forces is much larger than observed on the Sun. Therefore there must be at least one additional force, probably a buoyancy force, which opposes the meridional flow to bring its amplitude down to observed values.

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arXiv2012

Evaluating potential for data assimilation in a flux-transport dynamo model by assessing sensitivity and response to meridional flow variation

We estimate here a flux-transport dynamo model's response time to changes in meridional flow speed. Time-variation in meridional flow primarily determines the shape of a cycle in this class of dynamo models. In order to simultaneously predict the shape, amplitude and timing of a solar cycle by implementing an Ensemble Kalman Filter in the framework of Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART), it is important to know the model's sensitivity to flow variation. Guided by observations we consider a smooth increase or decrease in meridional flow speed for a specified time (a few months to a few years), after which the flow speed comes back to the steady speed, and implement that time-varying meridional flow at different phases of solar cycle. We find that the model's response time to change in flow speed peaks at four to six months if the flow change lasts for one year. The longer the changed flow lasts, the longer the model takes to respond. Magnetic diffusivity has no influence in model's response to flow variation as long as the dynamo operates in the advection-dominated regime. Experiments with more complex flow variations indicate that the shape and amplitude of flow-perturbation have no influence in the estimate of model's response time.

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arXiv2011

Theory of Solar Meridional Circulation at High Latitudes

We build a hydrodynamical model for computing and understanding the Sun's large-scale high latitude flows, including Coriolis forces, turbulent diffusion of momentum and gyroscopic pumping. Side boundaries of the spherical 'polar cap', our computational domain, are located at latitudes $\geq 60^{\circ}$. Implementing observed low latitude flows as side boundary conditions, we solve the flow equations for a cartesian analog of the polar cap. The key parameter that determines whether there are nodes in the high latitude meridional flow is $ε=2 Ωn πH^2/ν$, in which $Ω$ is the interior rotation rate, n the radial wavenumber of the meridional flow, $H$ the depth of the convection zone and $ν$ the turbulent viscosity. The smaller the $ε$ (larger turbulent viscosity), the fewer the number of nodes in high latitudes. For all latitudes within the polar cap, we find three nodes for $ν=10^{12}{\rm cm}^2{\rm s}^{-1}$, two for $10^{13}$, and one or none for $10^{15}$ or higher. For $ν$ near $10^{14}$ our model exhibits 'node merging': as the meridional flow speed is increased, two nodes cancel each other, leaving no nodes. On the other hand, for fixed flow speed at the boundary, as $ν$ is increased the poleward most node migrates to the pole and disappears, ultimately for high enough $ν$ leaving no nodes. These results suggest that primary poleward surface meridional flow can extend from $60^{\circ}$ to the pole either by node-merging or by node migration and disappearance.

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arXiv2011

Detection of a Bipolar Molecular Outflow Driven by a Candidate First Hydrostatic Core

We present new 230 GHz Submillimeter Array observations of the candidate first hydrostatic core Per-Bolo 58. We report the detection of a 1.3 mm continuum source and a bipolar molecular outflow, both centered on the position of the candidate first hydrostatic core. The continuum detection has a total flux density of 26.6 +/- 4.0 mJy, from which we calculate a total (gas and dust) mass of 0.11 +/- 0.05 Msun and a mean number density of 2.0 +/- 1.6 X 10^7 cm-3. There is some evidence for the existence of an unresolved component in the continuum detection, but longer-baseline observations are required in order to confirm the presence of this component and determine whether its origin lies in a circumstellar disk or in the dense inner envelope. The bipolar molecular outflow is observed along a nearly due east-west axis. The outflow is slow (characteristic velocity of 2.9 km/s), shows a jet-like morphology (opening semi-angles ~8 degrees for both lobes), and extends to the edges of the primary beam. We calculate the kinematic and dynamic properties of the outflow in the standard manner and compare them to several other protostars and candidate first hydrostatic cores with similarly low luminosities. We discuss the evidence both in support of and against the possibility that Per-Bolo 58 is a first hydrostatic core, and we outline future work needed to further evaluate the evolutionary status of this object.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2011

Resonance in Forced Flux Transport Dynamos

We show that simple 2 and 3-layer flux-transport dynamos, when forced at the top by a poloidal source term, can produce a widely varying amplitude of toroidal field at the bottom, depending on how close the meridional flow speed of the bottom layer is to the propagation speed of the forcing applied above the top layer, and how close the amplitude of the $α$-effect is to two values that give rise to a resonant response. This effect should be present in this class of dynamo model no matter how many layers are included. This result could have implications for the prediction of future solar cycles from the surface magnetic fields of prior cycles. It could be looked for in flux-transport dynamos that are more realistic for the Sun, done in spherical geometry with differential rotation, meridional flow and $α$-effect that vary with latitude and time as well as radius. Because of these variations, if resonance occurs, it should be more localized in time, latitude and radius.

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arXiv2011

Analysis of 3D MHD Instability of Antisolar Latitudinal Differential Rotation in F, G and K stars

Motivated by observations that only a very few stars have been found to have antisolar differential rotation, much weaker in amplitude than that of the Sun, we analyze the stability of antisolar and solar type latitudinal differential rotations in the tachoclines of typical F,G and K stars. We employ two three-dimensional thin shell models, one for a Boussinesq but non-hydrostatic system, the other for a hydrostatic but non-Boussinesq system. We find that, in general, the combination of toroidal field band and differential rotation is more unstable, and unstable for lower toroidal fields, for antisolar than for solar-type differential rotation. In the antisolar case, the instability is always found to weaken the differential rotation, even if the primary energy source for the instability is the magnetic field. This favors surface antisolar differential rotations in stars being weaker than solar types, if the instability in the tachocline is felt at the surface of the star. This is most likely to happen in F stars, whose convection zones are much thinner than they are in G and K stars. This effect could help explain why the antisolar differential rotations that have been found are very weak compared to the Sun.

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arXiv2011

Polar Field Puzzle: Solutions from Flux-Transport Dynamo and Surface Transport Models

Polar fields in solar cycle 23 were about 50% weaker than those in cycle 22. The only theoretical models which have addressed this puzzle are surface transport models and flux-transport dynamo models. Comparing polar fields obtained from numerical simulations using surface flux transport models and flux-transport dynamo models, we show that both classes of models can explain the polar field features within the scope of the physics included in the respective models. In both models, how polar fields change as a result of changes in meridional circulation depends on the details of meridional circulation profile used. Using physical reasoning and schematics as well as numerical solutions from a flux-transport dynamo model, we demonstrate that polar fields are determined mostly by the strength of surface poloidal source provided by the decay of tilted, bipolar active regions. Profile of meridional flow with latitude and its changes with time have much less effect in flux-transport dynamo models than in surface transport models.

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arXiv2010

Physical Origin of Differences among various Measures of Solar Meridional Circulation

We show that systematic differences between surface Doppler and magnetic element tracking measures of solar meridional flow can be explained by the effects of surface turbulent magnetic diffusion. Feature-tracking speeds are lower than plasma speeds in low and mid-latitudes, because magnetic diffusion opposes poleward plasma flow in low-latitudes whereas it adds to plasma flow at high latitudes. Flux transport dynamo models must input plasma flow; the model-outputs yield estimates of the surface magnetic feature tracking speed. We demonstrate that the differences between plasma speed and magnetic pattern speed in a flux-transport dynamo are consistent with the observed difference between these speeds.

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