Abstract
We calculate analytical and numerical solutions to the magnetic flux transport equation in the absence of new bipolar sources of flux, for several meridional flow profiles and a range of peak flow speeds. We find that a poleward flow with a broad profile and a nominal 10 m s−1 maximum speed concentrates the large-scale field into very small caps of less than 15° half-angle, with average field strengths of several tens of gauss, contrary to observations. A flow which reaches its peak speed at a relatively low latitude and then decreases rapidly to zero at higher latitudes leads to a large-scale field pattern which is consistent with observations. For such a flow, only lower latitude sunspot groups can contribute to interhemispheric flux annihilation and the resulting decay and reversal of the polar magnetic fields.
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DeVore, C.R., Sheeley, N.R. & Boris, J.P. The concentration of the large-scale solar magnetic field by a meridional surface flow. Sol Phys 92, 1–14 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00157230
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00157230