Equator to Pole Solar Chromospheric Differential Rotation using Ca-K Features Derived from Kodaikanal Data

TL;DR

This study analyzes the Sun's differential rotation across latitudes using Ca-K chromospheric features from Kodaikanal data, revealing consistent patterns and potential insights into solar magnetic activity.

Contribution

First-time analysis of chromospheric features like plages and networks separately to map solar differential rotation across all latitudes using long-term Ca-K data.

Findings

Chromospheric features exhibit differential rotation decreasing from equator to poles.

Plages and networks show similar rotation patterns, indicating common underlying layers.

Ca-K data effectively maps polar and equatorial solar rotation over a century.

Abstract

Differential rotation is one of the basic characteristics of the Sun, and it plays an important role in generating the magnetic fields and its activities. We investigated rotation rate using chromospheric features such as plages, enhanced network, active network, and quiet network separately (for the first time). The digitized Ca-K images from Kodaikanal Observatory for 1907-1996 are used to study rotation over 0-80 degrees latitudes at an interval of 10$^{\circ}$ . We find that plages and all types of networks exhibit the differential rotation of the chromosphere. Furthermore, the rotation rate shows a decreasing pattern as one move from the equator to the higher polar latitudes for all the features used in the study. By analyzing how the area of chromospheric features varies over time, we can effectively map the Sun's rotation rate at all latitudes, including the polar regions. Interestingly, both plages and small-scale networks exhibit similar differential rotation rate. This suggests these features likely rooted at the same layer below the visible surface of the Sun. Therefore, the long-term Ca-K data is very useful to study the solar rotation rate at all latitudes including the polar regions.