COFFIES Session @ SHINE 2023

Session Name: Where in the solar interior lies the seat of the dynamo?

Aug 8, 2023 @ SHINE (in Stowe, Vermont)

Solar and stellar dynamos stem from the complex interaction of the magnetic field with small- and large-scale flows within their interiors. A Consequence Of Fields and Flows in the Interior and Exterior of the Sun (COFFIES) is the roughly 11-year quasi-periodic magnetic activity cycle. This varying magnetic field drives space weather and the dynamic environment throughout the heliosphere, and therefore an understanding of this variability, leading ultimately to reliable forecasts, is of paramount importance. Yet despite improved observations and years of theoretical modeling efforts, it is still not well understood how the Sun generates, replenishes, and maintains the magnetic field that creates the observed characteristics of the solar cycle, i.e., how the Sun’s dynamo operates. This session aims to drive collaborative discussion regarding the seat of the solar dynamo, whether it’s in the tachocline, bulk convection zone, or near the solar surface, in an effort to push our collective understanding forward.

  • Where is sunspot producing magnetic energy inside the Sun amplified? Tachocline v/s bulk convection zone v/s near-surface.
  • How do observations of the photosphere and the Corona help us understand generation of magnetic energy in the solar interior?
  • How does our understanding of the solar interior inform or limit our understanding of stellar dynamos and vice-versa.

Organizers: Sushant Mahajan, Shea Hess-Webber and J. Todd Hoeksema

The SHINE abstract deadline as well as the early-bird registration deadline are both Friday June 16, 2023 (before EOD ET). To register and/or submit an abstract, visit the SHINE website.

This COFFIES session will be held on the first day of the SHINE Workshop. It will be a split session (2 sessions, 75 minutes each with a break in between). Information on the agenda is available on the SHINE website here. More information on our session’s invited speakers and format will be available shortly.

The COFFIES CET also plans to host our usual engagement events (led by JT Stefan), such as Coffee with COFFIES (details TBA), as well as participate in the SHINE Student Day on Aug 6!