An Alternative Measure of Solar Activity from Detailed Sunspot Datasets

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• 作者：J. Muraközy ; T. Baranyi ; A. Ludmány
• 关键词：Sunspots ; magnetic fields
• 刊名：Solar Physics
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：November 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：291
• 期：9-10
• 页码：2941-2950
• 全文大小：
• 刊物类别：Physics and Astronomy
• 刊物主题：Astrophysics and Astroparticles; Atmospheric Sciences; Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics, Space Exploration and Astronautics);
• 出版者：Springer Netherlands
• ISSN：1573-093X
• 卷排序：291

文摘

The sunspot number is analyzed by using detailed sunspot data, including aspects of observability, sunspot sizes, and proper identification of sunspot groups as discrete entities of solar activity. The tests show that in addition to the subjective factors there are also objective causes of the ambiguities in the series of sunspot numbers. To introduce an alternative solar-activity measure, the physical meaning of the sunspot number has to be reconsidered. It contains two components whose numbers are governed by different physical mechanisms and this is one source of the ambiguity. This article suggests an activity index, which is the amount of emerged magnetic flux. The only long-term proxy measure is the detailed sunspot-area dataset with proper calibration to the magnetic flux. The Debrecen sunspot databases provide an appropriate source for the establishment of the suggested activity index.