A Study of the Mean Solar Magnetic Field,

Abstract

The magnetic field of the sun seen as a star has been observed at the Mount Wilson Observatory. The sun-as-a-star field, or mean field, as measured in integrated sunlight has been compared with both large scale averages of conventional solar magnetic maps and the interplanetary magnetic field observed near the earth. Three somewhat independent topics concerning the 'mean field' observations and interpretation are discussed: The relation between the mean field observations and models of large scale solar magnetic structure, the nature of the comparison of the mean field with the interplanetary field, and the relative contribution of fields on different parts of the solar disk to the mean field. The relationship between the observed large scale magnetic structure and models of the solar field is discussed in terms of the 'Babcock-Leighton' and 'sector' models. (Modified author abstract)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1973
Accession Number
AD0774918

Entities

People

  • Philip Scherrer

Organizations

  • Stanford University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Astronomical Bodies
  • Buildings And Structures
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Observation
  • Observatories
  • Solar System
  • Stars
  • Sun
  • Sunlight

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.