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LONG· TERM VARIATIONS OF THE TORSIONAL,...JJstILLATIONS OF THE SUN

VALENTINE I. MAKAROV and ANDREY G. lLATOV

Kislovodsk Solar Station of the Pulkovo Observatory, Kislovodsk; 357700, P.O. Box 145, Russia

DJRK K. CALLEBAUT

Physics Department, UIA, University of Antwerp, Antwerp B-261O, Belgium

(Received 22 April, 1996; in final form 8 August, 1996)

Abstract. We investigated long-term variations of the differential rotation of the solar large-scale magnetic 'field on 1024 Ho charts in the: latitude zones from +450 to -450 in the period 1915-1990. We used the expansion in terms of Walsh functions, It turns out thai the rotation of the Sun becomes more rigid than average during the cycle maximum and the rotation is more differential during minimum. From 1915 to 1990, 7 bands of faster- arid 7 bands of slower- than-average rotation are revealed showing an l l-year period. These.bands drift towards tbe equator: 45° in 2.5 to 8 years. The time span of the bands varies from 4 to 6.8 years and is in anti-phase with long-term solar activity. The latitude span of the bands of torsional oscillations varies from 0.5 ~ to 1.3 Be· and shows a long-term variation of about 55 years. The poloidal component of velocity, Vo varies from 2.ms-1 to

6 ms -I. The maximum.rate of the equatorial drift occurs in the period between 1935 and 1955 ami it-develops prior to the highest maximum activity. At-the modem epoch from 1965· to 198:5, VB does not exceed S ms -1, but now it bas a tendency to increase. The bands of slower-than-average rotation . correspond to the evolution ofthe magnetic activit)' towards the equator in theburterflydiagram.

1. Introduction

There are no reasons to doubt that interaction between the rotation of the Sun and convection is a cause of solar activjtx~n the dynamo theory the differential rotation is one of the main sources of the generation of magnetic fields. That is why the question of changes in the velocity of differential solar rotation is of great significance for understanding the nature of the magnetic cycle, However, the exact role of the differential rotation in the cycle variation of solar activity is notyetclear .. (Gilman, 1992).

Rather complete investigations of differential solar rotation were 'first carried out by Newton and Nunn (1951) on thea bservations of recurrent spots during six 11- yearcyc1es from 1878to 1944. The authors did not findthe time variations of the: differential rotation velocity in that period, but they obtained a relationship between. the angular rate of solar rotation and latitude. On the other hand, d' Azambuja (1948) processed prolonged series of Her filaments and obtained the same results. Then Clark et al. (1979) compared the Sun's rotation for cycles 12 and: 19, and Hanslmeier and Lustig (1986) compared cycles 18 and 21 and they found that the equatorial rotation was independent of solar activity.

The first evidence of time- variations in differential rotation, with the phase of the sunspot cycle was discovered by Balthasar and Wohl (1980)~ Theyfound that the

Solar Physicl;,170: 373-388,1997.

© 1997 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Primed in Belgium.

374

V. 1. MAKAROV, A. G. TLATOV, AND D. K. CALLEBAUT

equatorial rotation is faster during the sunspot minima than durin the maxima. A similar pattern of variations was found by Ikhsanov and Vitinsky 1980), Arevado et al. (1982), Lustig (1983), Gilman and Howard (1984), Balthas , Vazquez, and Wahl (1986), Kambry and Nishikawa (1990). Periodicities in the fo1ar differential rotation were recently studied on tho C basis of Greenwich datao4sunspot groups

during 1974-1976 (Javaraian and Gokhale, 1995). .

Progress in studying the differential rotation of the Sun w stimulated by the creation of the magnetograph for the observations of weak I magnetic fields (Babcock and Babcock, 1955; Howard, 1984; Schroter, 1985). fe discovery of torsional oscillations by Howard and LaBonte (1980) and LaBo te and Howard (1982) stimulated the further study of the thin structure of differen . al rotation with the aim of finding the mechanism of magnetic activity generation The data of the magnetic and velocity fields showed that in a given latitude th velocity of the torsional oscillation changed its direction from east to west and v 'ce versa during 11 years with an amplitude of abou t 3 IDS - j . Snodgrass and How d (1985) argued . that the whole oscillation pattern drifts from the poles to the equato during 22 years. Komm, Howard, and Harvey (1993) showed that this period w s much shorter. Some authors assumed that the most natural explanation of the 0lservCd torsional oscillations was the impact of the magnetic field on rotation thr ugh convection (Schussler, 1981; Yoshimura, 1981; Kleeorin and Ruzmaikin, 198 ). Such model s, however, encounter serious resistance (Dolginov and Muslimov, 1 85). They show that the torsional os~il1~tions are intrinsic solar o~cillati~ns:xcitef by convecti?n. However, the quantitative models of zonal velocity oscillations ~ as yet lacking (Rudiger and Kitchatinov, 1990; Kitchatinov, 1990).

That is why it seems necessary to return to the observation data of zonal rotation in more prolonged series. Here Ho: magnetic charts are a. excellent tool.

The investigation of variations of the solar differential rotati n in Ho charts from 1964 to 1980 was carried out by Stepanyan (1982, 1983). S efound that the rigidity of the differential rotation went up in the years of maxim m solar activity and down in the periods of minimum activity. Using data for the s e period Hejna

(1986) found torsional waves having a wave number k == Lhemis here. ,

In the present work, the variations of the differential rotation fthe Sun in the HO:' magnetic charts (Makarov and Sivararnan, 1989) arc studied d the properties of the torsional oscillations for the period from 1915 to 1990 arc i vcstigated, Our main aim is to derive the long-term variations of the torsional asciI tions, and their possible relation to the solar activity cycle.

2. Observational Data

The structure of the large-scale magnetic field on the Sun is determined by the distribution of unipolar regions. The patternof these unipolar regions is evident in the magneto grams and it reflects the results of interaction of all phenomena in

LONG-TERM VARIATIONS OF TIlE TORSIONAL OSCrLLAll0NS OF TIfE SUN 375

the atmospheric layers. Alternatively the unipolar regions can be identified on the Her synoptic charts (McIntosh, 1972; Makarov and Stoyanova, 1982). The prominences and Her filaments, filament channels.K'Ca u plages and strong magnetic fields in spots can be used as markers for tracing the evolution and migration of these large-scale magnetic regions (Du val et al., 1977). Using filament distribution charts of the Meudon Observatory and daily spectrograms in the Ha and K-Ca II lines of the Kodaikanal Observatory (India), the Atlas of Ho charts of large-scale magnetic field of the Sun for the period 1904 ~ 1964 was constructed (Makarov, 1983, 1984; Makarov and Sivaraman, 1983). McIntosh (1979) has constructed Ho synoptic charts for the period 1964-1974. There are similar data for the periad 1975~1991 (SGD, 1975-1991). Beginning from 1979 up to the present time, the bulletin Solnechnye Dannye publishes monthly Synoptic Charts on the basis of the observations at the Kislovodsk Solar Station of the Pulkovo Observatory (S.D.: 1979-1990). Thus, there is a continuous data stock on the evolution of the large-scale magnetic field for more than 8 cycles of solar activity.

3. Analysis

3.1. WALSH FUNCTIONS

On the Ha charts the regions of positive and negative polarity are represented only by their sign, i.e., as + 1 or -1. So the magnetic field at a certain latitudecan be represented as a set of rectangular boxes with amplitude ± 1. For a mathematical representation of such a series, the expansion in terms of orthogonal Walsh functions (Walsh, 1923) is very convenient. We refer to the appendix for some properties of the Walsh functions.

3.2. DETERMINATION OF DIFFERENTIAL ROTATION

Differential rotation at a fixed latitude was determined within a 5° latitude zone. The series consists of plus or minus unity taken at intervals of 5° along the longitude. The area of the magnetic field of the same sign was determined as a set of unit values of this sign. For the sake of convenience, each sample of the whole series of magnetic field values at a given latitude was individually taken equal to 4096 (or 212), corresponding to about 56 Carrington rotations, or 4 years. Each sample is shifted over half a year with respect to the previous one, so that there is always an overlap of half a year. We made the same investigations with samples of 2 and 3 years, tooTn addition to more transient phenomena. the latter show the same 'large' features as the samples using 4 years. In fact it turned out that the latitude span of the torsional waves obtained here is between 0.5 Rra, and 1.3 Rs, corresponding to say 30° to 75°, while - the bands move 6° to 180 a year. The power spectrum calculated by Walsh functions was found for each sample. The differentialrotation period was found as the period corresponding to the spectral power maximum.

376

1500 car.rot.

V. I. MAKAROV, A. G. TLATOV, AND D. K.. CALLEBAUT

IlIX)

1JOO

!.!OO car,rot.

'"' 14. t>-o

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~

e 14.

~ 13.5

H Eo<

es

~ 14.

14.. ' ..

13.5 13.

1920 1940

1960 1980 YEAR

•• s

1920 1940 1960 1980 YEAR

Figure 1. (A) Variations in the solar rotation rate at five representative latitudes of the northern hemisphere. Bottom: years. Top: emington rotations. (6) The same as in (A), but for the southern

hemisphere of the Sun. .

Figures I(A) and l(B) show some examples of the Sun's differential rotation in 5° latitude zones of the northern and southern hemispheres during 1915-1990.

I'

!

3.3. DETERMJNATION OF TORSIONAL OSCILLATIONS

The anomalous magnetic field rotation on Ho charts was determined by calculating the deviations of a differential rotation rate at a given latitude f~om the average

value as the difference . I

~w = (w)' - (/..I.)" , I (1)

where (wY - the differential rotation rate for the given point a time found by averaging over 20 neighbouring revolutions, that is (w)' = .EI2,ow /20, and (w)" - the "average differential rotation velocity averaging over 200 Ca ngton rotations,

_ that is (w) /I = .Ef!!b /200. A similar method was used for the purpo e of ~liminating a slowly changing trend in the behavior of the differentialrotation, ecause the mean level has to be zero in order to use the expansion in Walshfuncti s.

LONG-TERM VARIATIONS OF THE TORSIONAL OSC1ILATIONS OF nrn SUN 377

14.5r-~----~----r----'·----~-----r----~----.-----r-~

.-,.

1915 - 1990

13

N 40

30

20

10 0

Latitude

10

20

40 S

Figure 2. Average solar rotation rate (sideral deg duy-I) derived from 1915 to 1990 as a function of latitude (deg) from +450 to -450• Observed data (solid line) a~d smoothed data (dotted line).

4. Results

4.1. THE AVERAGE DIFFERENTIAL ROTATION

The average differential rotation deduced from the whole data set of Ho charts during 1915-1990 is shown in Figure 2. It should be pointed out that the average rate of the solar rotation in the period from 1915 to 1950 was somewhat higher than it was in the period from 1950 to 1990 as illustrated by the straight line in Figure 3(A). Figure leA) clearly shows variations (up to 1.5%) of the differential rotation rate with periods from 5 to 12 years which recur in neighbouring latitudes. One may note several impulses of fast and slow rotation which are observed on all zones from 45° to 5°. These impulses show an equatorward drift with velocity from 10 ms -1 to 40 ms -1 . The averaged differential rotation rate over the periods from 1915 [0 1990 is plotted too in Figure 2, and it can be approximated by the formula (in deg day")

w(8) := A + B sirr' e + C sin" 8 (2)

or

w(E» = 13.98 ± 0.06- (0.94 ± 0.18) sin2 e - (0.33 ± 0.21) sin" e , (3)

where e is the latitude. We now turn to the time dependence of the coefficients.

4.2. THE TIME VARIATION OF THE ROTATION RATE

The equatorial rotation rate of the large-scale magnetic field pattern derived from Ho charts shows a well-defined l l-year cycle variation, Figure 3(A). The equator

378

V. I. :MAKAROV, A, G, TLATOV, AND D, K CALLEBAUT

w '''W'' .~ . -
, .
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'4;
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- 1920 1940 1960 YEARS 1960 I

Figure 3, (W) Solar magnetic activity cycles in terms of annual average Wolf numtrs, W (t), (A) The equatorial rotation parameter A(t) and its variation with the solar cycle. (B) Th rotation parameter B(t) and its variation with the solar cycle, (C) The same as in (B), but for C(t).

LONG-TERM VARIATIONS OF THE TORSIONAL OSCILLATIONS OF' 'rnE SUN 379

I

rotates slightly slower during minimum and rising activity. The maximum equatorial rotation rate is related to the epoch of declining activity. The maximum A(t) coincides mostly with the maximum activity of the Sun. But in the period around 1985 the Sun rotated slightly faster during minimum. The maximum of A (about 14.2 deg day-l) was determined for the epoch 1920. It was related to the branch of declining activity during the 15th cycle. Theminimum equatorial rate (about 13.7 deg day-l) occurred around 1978. It was the epoch of rising of sunspot activity during the 21 st cycle. TIlls difference is about 0.5 deg day-l, or + 1.5% on average. The global decreasing trend of the value A, especially from 1960 to 1990 may be noted. Figure 3(A) shows that the Sun's equatorial rate declined from 14.05 to 13.95 deg day "! during the last 75 years. At the same time, the solar activity showed a secular trend of increase, Figure 3(W), This may mean that in some sense the long-term increase of magnetic activity reduces the time equatorial rate, although we doubt from an energetic point of view that the effect is sufficient. There is no indication of a 22-year variation of the parameter A( t).

Figures 3(B) and 3(C) show the mid-latitude parameter, B(t), and the highlatitude parameter, C (t). Both parameters show a clear variation with the solar cycle. The rotation becomes more rigid than average during the cycle maximum and the rotation is more differential during minimum. Figures 3(B) and 3(C) show that the value B (t) equals almost exactly zero in periods of maximum Wolf number, W (t), Figure 3(W). The high-latitude parameter, G(t), is oflittle importance here as all observational data are related to the latitude belt from +450 to -450. The mid-latitude parameter B(t) varies on a broad scale from -3.0 to +0.5. It is in anti-phase with respect to the l l-year cycle. As expected, from the motion of the torsional oscillations towards the equator, the parameters B(t) and G(t) are highly anti-phased.

The very high antiphase between the parameters B(t) and A(t) is remarkable, that is to say, maximum A(t) corresponds to minimum B(t) and vice versa. This means that the more intense the differential rotation, the faster the equatorial rotation, and the weakening of the differential rotation co;rresponds to a slow down of the equatorial rate. Figure 4 shows the rotation parameter B / A and its variation with the solar cycle. The mean value of B / A is about -0.07 and it has variations on the whole from 0.0 to -0.2. There are two periods of time with strong differential rotation: during 1920 (the branch of decline of the 15th cycle) and during 1985- 1986 (minimum activity before the 22nd cycle). In Figure 4 the arrows mark the epoch of the polar field reversals (Makarov andMakarova, 1996). One can see the increase of differential rotation after each polar field reversal. In the paper by Japaridze and Gigolashvili (1992), it was noted that some particular features of solar differential rotation might be related with the Change of magnetic polarity.

380

V. I. MAKAROV, A. G. TLATOV. AND D. K. CALLEBAUT

w

W
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Figure 4. (W) The same as in Figure 3(W). (B) The rotation parameter BIA' d its variation with the solar cycle. The arrows indicate the reversal efpolar-magnetic field.

4.3. THE PATTERN OF TORSIONAL OSCILLATIONS

The bands of faster- and slower-than-average rotation, CJ.w(8, t , are plotted in Figure 5. In order for the noise component to be diminished, the parameter Bet) was averaged for each latitude using both hemispheres. The bands f slower rotation are indicated as dark shaded areas. The dotted lines represent average rotation and correspond to the boundary of the bands. The pattern obtained c4n be interpreted as periodically alternating bands of faster- and slower-than-average rotation, or as a pattern of torsional oscillations. One may notice the gradual drilft of the bands to

the equator. ,

Figure 6(B) shows a comparison of the torsional oscillation phase in latitudes 40°, 200, 0° with the phase of the' solar activity which is expreSSf'd by the annual average Wolf number, Wet) in Figure 6(A). Figure 6(B) schematically illustrates the wave's phase of faster- and slower-than-average rotation in the latitudes 40°, 20° , 0°. Band's centres are connected by lines. Thi s gives an illustrative idea of the drift Of each band towards the equator and its width in the given latitude. The time span of a band, parameter !1T, in latitude 200 has changed from 4.0 to 6.8 years, Figure 6(C).

LONG-TERM VARIATIONS OF TIIE TORSIONAL OSCllLATIONS OF THE SUN 381

900 1000 1100 1200 raoo. 1400 1500 .1600 .1700 1900

40

40

3.0

30

20

10

10 :

~ 0

~ 10 j

20

o

10

20·

30

40

1920

1930

1940

1950

1.960

1970

Figure 5. Latitude-time distribution of faster- (light) and slower-than-average rotation (dark) bands in reference \0 the average rate. The boundaries between the bands co;:respond to the average rotation rate.

The most quickly changing bands were observed in late 1940 and in early 1950. It turns out that all 7 slower-than-average rotation bands Toughly follow the magnetic activity in latitude along the evolution towards the equator.

A comparison of Figures 6(A) and 6(B) shows that the bands of faster-thanaverage rotation (upper straight line in Figure 6(B)) moving towards the equator reach it near minimum activity. The slower-than-average rotation bands (bottom straight line in Figure 6(B) reach the equator near maximum activity. This provides a way of judging the relationship between the phases of a torsional wave and the toroidal and peloidal components of the magnetic field.

4.4. THE LONG-TERM ASPECT OF SOLAR TORSIONAL OSClLLATIONS

From Figure 5 one can see that the time span of the faster- and slower-than-average rotation bands changed during 1915-1990. The narrowest band of the faster-thanaverage rotation was observed during 1948-1951, whereas the widest band of the faster-than-average rotation was observed during 1967-1973. There is a gradual change of the width of the bands with time. The maximum width of the band at latitude 20° is about 6.8 years and the minimum width is about 4 years. Figure 6(C) shows the long-term variation of the width of the bands (dotted line) in latitude 20° during 1915-1990. The long-term variation of !:!.T is about 50 years.

We compared the behaviour of the parameter !:!.T with the level of solar activity, expressed by the sum of the yearly mean sunspot area in a cycle, E A (Sp) -sol id line in Figure 6(C) (Makarov and Makarova, 1996). The unexpected result is a high

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4 V. I. MAKAROV. A G. TLATOY, AND D. K. CALLEBAUT

\ :

'"

.A.

-,

ii,

~ "';

:

. :

... '.:

','

40-

; !"f

1950 1960

Figure 6. (A) Solar magnetic activity cycles in terms of annual average Wolf numbers, W(t). (B) Schematic representation of faster- and slower-than-average rotation bands in latitudes 40°,200, and 0° . Maximum and minimum on the curves are restricted to the average point of the bands of fast and slow rotation, respectively, (C) /),.r is the duration (in years) of one band in latitude 200, (dotted line), ~ A{Sp) is the sum of the yearly mean sunspot area in a cycle in 10-3 of thelvisible hemisphere (solid line), (D) Latitude length of faster- and slower-than-average rotation bands· during 1915-1990.

anti-correlation between the parameters ,6,T and 1; A(Sp). One an see that the activity of the torsional oscillations develops prior to the highest agnetic activity of the Sun in the period considered. Another aspect of the Ion -term variation

LONG-TERM VARIATIONS OF THE TORSIONAL OSCll...LATIONS OF THE SUN 383

A
8
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B

,

I

•

,

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14

12

10

8

6

1920

1940

1960 YEAR 1980

Figure 7. (A) Drift time (in years) ofthe bands of anomalous rotation from latitude 45° to the equator during 1915-1990. (B) Va is the velocity (ms-I) of the equatorial drift of the torsional oscillation during 1915--1990 (dotted line). ~A(Sl') is the sum of the yearly mean sunspot area in a cycle in 10-3 of the visible hemisphere (solid line).

of the torsional oscillation concerns the migration rate of the faster- and slowerthan-average bands. Drift-time of the bands from latitude 45° to the equator varies from 2.5 years to 8 years (Figure 7(A». This corresponds to the variation of the migration rate from 2 ms -1 to 6.2 IDS -1 (Figure 7(B), dotted line). The minimum of the migration rate took place near 1920 and in the period from 1965 to 1985,

I

384 v. I. MAKAROV, J\, G, TLATOV, MiD D. K, CALLEBAUT ~

and it did not exceed 3 IDS ~ 1 . In the modern epoch it shows a tend cy to increase. Maximum of Ve is about 6.2 ms ~ 1 and it was observed in the peri d from 1935 to 1955. We compared the behaviour of Ve (t) with the level of solar ac ivityexpressed by the sum of the yearly mean sunspot area in a cycle, :E A (Sp) (Figure 7 (B), solid hoe). There is a correlation between the parameters Vo(t) and E A(Sp, t), but the torsional oscillation develops prior to the highest maximum activity. From these data we concluded that .in the period from 1915 to 1990 there was a long-term variation of the torsional oscillations of about 55 years or slightly more.

The latitude extent of the faster- and slower-than-average rotation bands, E = l:..TVe, and its long-term variation is plotted in Figure 6(D). It is [compared with the phase of the wave, Figure 6(B), and with the level of the Suq's activity, Figure 6(A). One can see that the maximum /2 was about 1.3 R@ d ;'ng 1940-1945 and the minimum £ ~ 0.5 J4J was observed near 1920 and 19 3. This means that torsional oscillation modes have wave numbers (roughly) k ! to k = ~ per hemisphere. It is important to note that the maximum of the latitu e extent of the bands develops prior to the Sun's highest activity. The time variation of E has a long-term component of about 55 years. It may be recalled that· 55-year grand cycle was studied by Yoshimura and Kambry (1993) using a nonl near oscillation

I

model. i

5. Discussion

5.1. AGREEMENT BETWEEN VARIOUS RESULTS ON TORSIONAL OSCllLATIONS

The variation of the differential rotation rate was first discovered by Howard and LaBonte (1980) in the course of analysing Doppler measurements. The similar behaviour of rate variations was discovered by analysis of magn~[Ograms (Snodgrass and Howard; 1985; Kornm, Howard, and Harvey, 1993)~ Evidence was obtained that some motions are connected with torsional oscilla . ons in the direction from the pole to the equator, which were discovered fro green corona observations (Leroy and Noens, 1982; Makarov and Tlatov, 1995 and from sunspots also (Gilman and Howard, 1984). When comparingthe resul s obtained from synoptic Ho: charts with the results obtained from magnetogra s with the high spatial resolution for the period from 1975 to 1990 (Komm, How d, and Harvey, 1993), a resemblance of the common behaviour and duration of drift of excess differential rotation rate can be noticed.

5.2. RELATION BETWEEN TORSIONAL OSCILLATIONS, POLAR FACuLAE, AND SUNSPOTS

It is well known that torsional oscillations start at the poles and descend towards the equator (Howard and Lafsonte, 1980; Lalsonte and Howard, ~982; Snodgrass and Howard, 1985). Hence, while passing through the high-latitude regions they

LONG-TERM VARlATIONS OF TIIE TORSIONAL OSCILLATIONS OF'fHE SeN 385

seem first to activate the polar faculae cycle, increasing the number of polar faculae and the corresponding fields. Torsional oscillations below 45° latitudes have a similar effect on the sunspot cycle. Of course the dynamo mechanism, based on the differential rotation, is the main agent, but due to the torsional oscillations it gets during some times some extra activation (torsional oscillation increasing the differential rotation) and during some times it gets some decrease (torsional oscillation decreasing the differential rotation).

This does not mean that there can be no sunspots without torsional oscillations,

i , only that there are fewer sunspots in the absence of torsional oscillations. Although the energy connected with torsional oscillations is small compared to the energy involved in the rotation, they contribute extra energy, an extra differential rotation which has proportionally a larger effect (i.e., much larger than the ratio of relevant energies indicates).

It may be recalled that Makarov and Makarova (1996) showed that the variation of the number of polar faculae during a cycle is reflected in the next sunspot cycle. We expect torsional oscillations to be the key to this similarity: putting first their mark on the polar faculae and next on the sunspots.

As we investigated here only the zone between 45° and -450, we can make no statement about the total migration time from pole to equator of the torsional oscillations. In view of other studies, it may be 22 years or less, maybe 17 years or even 11 years. Nevertheless our investigation shows clearly that torsional oscillations have an l l-year period cycle: the observations here show that the bands, coming down from the polar faculae diagram, move from 45° equatorwards, while the next bands arrive at 45° some 5.5 years later (with large fluctuations). In view of the energies involved, it can hardly be that torsional oscillations are a back reaction due to the generation of the magnetic field causing a slow down flow ofthe matter. (This effect may occur too, but with a much smaller amplitude.)

6. Conclusion

We consider the most important properties of torsional oscillations obtained from data stretching over 75 years.

(1) There is a strong anti-phase between the parameters A(t) and B(t). This means that a more intense differential rotation promotes a faster equatorial rotation. (2) The wave number k varied from! to ~ per hemisphere.

(3) Torsional oscillations show clearly a connection with the ] 1 -year solar cycle.

The slower-than-average rotation bands roughly correspond with the magnetic activity along the latitude evolution.

(4) The parameters of torsional oscillations i::1T, Ve, and E and wave number k have pronounced long-term variation with a period about 55 years, and they developed prior to the highest magnetic activity of the Sun in one to one and half l l-year cycles.

386

V. I. MAKAROV, A G.1LATOV, AND D. K CALLEBAUT

(5) Phase stability of the waves of torsional oscillations, long, term variations parameters !:::"T, Vo, and C, and their development prior to a long-term cycle allow considering the possibility that the observed torsional oscillations may be primary oscillations of the surface layers of the Sun.

(6) As it has already been pointed out in the paper by Dolginovand Muslimov (1985), torsional oscillations arise in conditions when the medium has an effective 'resilience', which in the conditions of the Sun can be created by the large-scale magnetic field, It is not surprising then, that the analysis of the properties of such a field allowed the results demonstrating that torsional oscillations' are the primary proper oscillations of the Sun. One of the possible mechanisms of generati ng such oscillations can be convection, although the striking exhibition of the long-term variation in torsional oscillations bears witness to an unknown mechanism,

(7) As the torsional oscillations come down from the poles to ~e equator, they seem to have first a strong effect on the polar faculae cycle and ext (when they have arrived below 45°) they affect the next sunspot cycle.

Acknowledgement s

This work has been done partly under Collaboration Program Flemi sh CommunityRussia. Two of us (V.I.M and AG.T) thank the Russian Found tion For Basic Research, Grant 96-02-16732 and INTAS, Grant 94-2521 for fi ancial support. We thank C. N dikumazambo (M. Sc, of UI A, Antwerp) for techni al help, and we thank the referee for his comments.

Appendix: Walsh Functions I

I

Consider the general orthogonal expansion of the function f(t)1 in the interval

(0, T). The Fourier expansion is very useful. However in many c~ses, especially with rather abrupt changing functions, one needs a very large mimber of terms, while other series are much more adequate with only a few terms. Iri. the last decade WAVELETS became a powerful tool. Walsh functions (1923) are a particular case of them:

f(t) = f Wk wal (k,!) ,

k=O T

(A1)

where the expansion coefficients Wk are given by

T

Wk = ~ I f(t) wal (k, ;) dt .

o

CA2)