Polar magnetic field reversals on the Sun

Abstract

AbstractThe polar magnetic fields on the Sun have been an attractive subject for solar researches since Babcock measured them in solar cycle 19. One of the remarkable features of the polar magnetic fields is their reversal during the maxima of 11-year sunspot cycles. I have present results of the investigations of the polar magnetic field using SOHO-mdi data. It is found, that the polar magnetic field reversal is detected with mdi data for polar region within 78°–88°. The North Pole has changed polarity in CR1975 (April 2001). The South reversed later in CR1980 (September 2001). The total unsigned magnetic flux does not show the dramatic decreasing during the polar reversals due to omnipresent bi-polar small-scale magnetic elements. The observational and theoretical aspects of the polar magnetic field reversals are discussed.