Planetary Influences on the Solar Cycle: A Nonlinear Dynamics Approach

TL;DR

This paper investigates how planetary magnetic fields influence solar cycle variability by applying nonlinear dynamics models with harmonic perturbations, revealing cycle irregularities and potential links to sunspot activity.

Contribution

It introduces a nonlinear dynamics approach to model planetary effects on the solar cycle, demonstrating how perturbations induce cycle irregularities and act as an order parameter.

Findings

Perturbations cause cycle intermittency and amplitude irregularities.

The intensity of perturbations correlates with system-external forcing interactions.

Results suggest nonlinear dynamics can model sunspot activity influenced by planetary magnetic fields.

Abstract

We explore the effect of some simple perturbations on three chaotic models proposed to describe large scale solar behavior via the solar dynamo theory: the Lorenz and the Rikitake systems, and a Van der Pol-Duffing oscillator. Planetary magnetic fields affecting the solar dynamo activity have been simulated by using harmonic perturbations. These perturbations introduce cycle intermittency and amplitude irregularities revealed by the frequency spectra of the nonlinear signals. Furthermore, we have found that the perturbative intensity acts as an order parameter in the correlations between the system and the external forcing. Our findings suggest a promising avenue to study the sunspot activity by using nonlinear dynamics methods.