The Magnetic Dynamo Theory & Stellar Magnetic Activity

MDT: When and Who?

First model proposed in 1961 by Horace Babcock (American)
-Babcock Model

Babcock: Son of an astronomer -astronomical instruments -adaptive optics -specialized in study of magnetic fields and spectroscopy

MDT: What is it?

Explains many components of the solar cycle Generally successful but still many unresolved issues Consider magnetic field lines are frozen into gas: Poloidal field field w/ toroidal component Why?: differential rotation of the Sun and the turbulent convection zone -this zone has the effect of twisting the lines magnetic ropes (intense magnetic fields) -direction of magnetic field along ropes determines polarity of sunspots -every lead spot will have same polarity in its hemisphere and the other lead spots in the other hemisphere will have the opposite polarity

MDT: What is it? Cont.

The initial small twisting occurs at higher latitudes during the sunspot minimum Differential rotation continues to drag the field lines along and convective turbulence ties them in a knots

MDT: What is it? Cont.

These knots form at intermediate latitudes lead to more sunspots here and producing the sunspot maximum Number of sunspots near equator is small due to cancellation of polarity of leading spots and this cancellation returns to sun to poloidal field but with its original polarity reverse (11 years) Solar cycle: 22 years

Evidence of Magnetic Activity in Other Stars

Observations indicate that other cool mainsequence stars possess activity cycles suggesting that the basic ideas behind solar cycle are correct Hot Coronae and angular momentum lost to stellar winds agree with onset of surface convection in low mass-stars (major component of MDT)

Flare Stars
Main-sequence class M stars with some rapid fluctuations in brightness Possible explanation to short observed changes in luminosity of these stars:
-flares size of those on sun occurring on these stars

Larger flares may be generated on other stars

-4/24/04, GJ 3685A

Starspots
Observed on other stars from through their effects on luminosity Two classes of stars show significant long-term variations b/c large fractions of surface covered by starspots
-RS Canum and By Draconis stars

Starspots Cont.
Magnetic fields detected directly on cool mainsequence stars by measuring Zeemanbroadened spectral lines Field strengths of several tenths of a tesla

Thank You
Any Questions?

SOURCES
Carroll, Bradley W., and Dale A. Ostlie. An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics. San Francisco: Pearson Addison-Wesley, 2007. Print.