Astron. Astrophys. 362, 379-382 (2000)

3. Conclusion

We have shown that significant amount of the solar magnetic flux is convected with the solar wind. As a result, the change of the magnetic flux through the surface encircled by the Earth's orbit (or the Venus' orbit) is proportional to the flux of the main solar magnetic field through the northern hemisphere of the Sun. During the solar cycle approximately one quarter of the total solar magnetic flux is transferred through the Earth's orbit (one half through the Venus' orbit). It means that the solar magnetic field is convected polarward destroying the dipolar structure and resulting in appearance of higher harmonics. Hence, the solar wind plasma flow plays significant role in the generation of the global solar magnetic field, and, in particular, may be responsible for the overturning of the solar dipole each 11 years.

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 2000

Online publication: October 30, 19100
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