Persistent North-South Alignment of the Solar Supergranulation

We have found evidence of an alignment of the solar supergranulation in the direction parallel to the Sun's rotation axis. Signatures of the alignment are apparent in both time-averaged images and in three-dimensional power spectra. The north-south organization is persistent in time, extending...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astrophysical journal 2004-06, Vol.608 (2), p.1167-1174
Main Authors: Lisle, Jason P, Rast, Mark P, Toomre, Juri
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Photosphere, granulation
Solar physics
Solar system
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Summary:We have found evidence of an alignment of the solar supergranulation in the direction parallel to the Sun's rotation axis. Signatures of the alignment are apparent in both time-averaged images and in three-dimensional power spectra. The north-south organization is persistent in time, extending over many supergranular lifetimes. It occurs over a wide latitudinal extent, to plus or minus 60 degree , and shows variation on a 10 degree -30 degree scale. These properties, as well as the rotation rate of the pattern, suggest a underlying larger scale dynamical cause. We examine a mechanism by which giant cell motions may contribute to such alignment.
ISSN:0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.1086/420691