Deciphering Solar Magnetic Activity. The Solar Cycle Clock

Abstract

The Sun's variability is controlled by the progression and interaction of the magnetized systems that form the 22-year magnetic activity cycle (the "Hale Cycle") as they march from their origin at ∼55 • latitude to the equator, over ∼19 years. We will discuss the end point of that progression, dubbed "terminator" events, and our means of diagnosing them. Based on the terminations of Hale Magnetic Cycles, we construct a new solar activity 'clock' which maps all solar magnetic activity onto a single normalized epoch. The Terminators appear at phase 0 * 2π on this clock (by definition), then solar polar field reversals