Schematic cutaway of the Sun. The right half shows the magnetic activity of the solar surface observed in the extreme ultraviolet, where coronal loops and magnetically dominated active regions are revealed. The left half shows the solar interior by “opening” the surface, illustrating the variation of the rotation rate with depth and latitude. The region marked with dashed blue lines corresponds to the tachocline, a transition layer located at a depth of about 200,000 km, where a strong variation in the rotation rate occurs. In this work, we describe the structure and dimensions of this region in greater detail than previously achieved. The solar magnetic field is powered by the strong rotational shear and the dynamical complexity of the tachocline. The magnetic activity observed at the solar surface originates in this deep layer of the Sun’s interior. Image credit: Gabriel Pérez Díaz (IAC).
Schematic cutaway of the Sun. The right half shows the magnetic activity of the solar surface observed in the extreme ultraviolet, where coronal loops and magnetically dominated active regions are revealed. The left half shows the solar interior by “opening” the surface, illustrating the variation of the rotation rate with depth and latitude. The region marked with dashed blue lines corresponds to the tachocline, a transition layer located at a depth of about 200,000 km, where a strong variation in the rotation rate occurs. In this work, we describe the structure and dimensions of this region in greater detail than previously achieved. The solar magnetic field is powered by the strong rotational shear and the dynamical complexity of the tachocline. The magnetic activity observed at the solar surface originates in this deep layer of the Sun’s interior. Image credit: Gabriel Pérez Díaz (IAC).
