The solar tachocline

by Geoffrey Vasil (University of Colorado)

Wednesday 19 Nov 2008, 13:15 → 14:00 Europe/Stockholm

Nordita seminar room

I discuss MHD processes in the solar interior and tachocline by outlining a series of high-resolution fully nonlinear numerical simulations. In particular, I address the generation of a strong toroidal magnetic field by the stretching action of velocity shear on a weak background poloidal magnetic field and examine the buoyancy properties of the the resulting magnetic configurations. Conclusions drawn from these studies help elucidate some important, but subtle, aspects of the solar dynamo that have been overlooked until recently.

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