Spatial Inhomogeneity In Solar Faculae

TL;DR

This study analyzes the uneven spatial distribution of solar faculae, revealing oscillatory latitudinal patterns and non-uniform longitudinal behavior that resemble active longitudes, offering insights for solar dynamo modeling.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed statistical analysis of the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of solar faculae using SOHO and SDO data from 1996 to 2014.

Findings

Latitudinal distribution shows quasi-biennial oscillations.

Longitudinal distribution is non-homogeneous and resembles active longitudes.

Results may inform future solar dynamo models.

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of solar faculae. The focus is on the latitudinal and longitudinal distributions of these highly localised features covering ubiquitously the solar surface. The statistical analysis is based on white light observations of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) between 1996 and 2014. We found that the fine structure of the latitudinal distribution of faculae displays a quasi-biennial oscillatory pattern. Furthermore, the longitudinal distribution of photospheric solar faculae does not show homogeneous behaviour either. In particular, the non-axisymmetric behaviour of these events show similar properties as that of the active longitude (AL) found in the distribution of sunspots. Our results, preliminary though, may provide a valuable observational constrain for developing the next-generation solar dynamo model.