The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2024)
Exploring the Dynamic Rotational Profile of the Hotter Solar Atmosphere: A Multiwavelength Approach Using SDO/AIA Data
Abstract
Understanding the global rotational profile of the solar atmosphere and its variation is fundamental to uncovering a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of the solar magnetic field and the extent of coupling between different layers of the Sun. In this study, we employ the method of image correlation to analyze the extensive data set provided by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly of the Solar Dynamic Observatory in different wavelength channels. We find a significant increase in the equatorial rotational rate ( A ) and a decrease in absolute latitudinal gradient (∣ B ∣) at all temperatures representative of the solar atmosphere, implying an equatorial rotation up to 4.18% and 1.92% faster and less differential when compared to the rotation rates for the underlying photosphere derived from Doppler measurement and sunspots respectively. In addition, we also find a significant increase in equatorial rotation rate ( A ) and a decrease in differential nature (∣ B ∣ decreases) at different layers of the solar atmosphere. We also explore a possible connection from the solar interior to the atmosphere and interestingly found that A at r = 0.94 R _⊙ and 0.965 R _⊙ show an excellent match with 171 Å, 304 Å, and 1600 Å, respectively. Furthermore, we observe a positive correlation between the rotational parameters measured from 1600 Å, 131 Å, 193 Å, and 211 Å with the yearly averaged sunspot number, suggesting a potential dependence of the solar rotation on the appearance of magnetic structures related to the solar cycle or the presence of cycle dependence of solar rotation in the solar atmosphere.
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