The Solar Tachocline

A reference on the tachocline for researchers and graduates in astrophysics, heliospheric physics, and fluid and plasma dynamics.

D. W. Hughes (Edited by), R. Rosner (Edited by), N. O. Weiss (Edited by)

9781107405356, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 July 2012

382 pages
24.4 x 17 x 2 cm, 0.61 kg

'…the book will be the standard reference on the subject.' Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics

Helioseismology has enabled us to probe the internal structure and dynamics of the Sun, including how its rotation varies in the solar interior. The unexpected discovery of an abrupt transition - the tachocline - between the differentially rotating convection zone and the uniformly rotating radiative interior has generated considerable interest and raised many fundamental issues. This volume contains invited reviews from distinguished speakers at the first meeting devoted to the tachocline, held at the Isaac Newton Institute. It provides a comprehensive account of the understanding of the properties and dynamics of the tachocline, including both observational results and major theoretical issues, involving both hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic behaviour. The Solar Tachocline is a valuable reference for researchers and graduate students in astrophysics, heliospheric physics and geophysics, and the dynamics of fluids and plasmas.

Preface
Part I. Setting the Scene: 1. An introduction to the solar tachocline D. O. Gough
2. Reflections on the solar tachocline E. A. Spiegel
Part II. Observations: 3. Observational results and issues concerning the tachocline J. Christensen-Dalsgaard and M. J. Thompson
Part III. Hydrodynamic Models: 4. Hydrodynamic models of the tachocline J.-P. Zahn
5. Turbulence in the tachocline M. S. Miesch
6. Mean field modelling of differential rotation G. Rudiger and L. L. Kitchatinov
Part IV. Hydromagnetic Properties: 7. Magnetic confinement of the solar tachocline P. Garaud
8. Magnetic confinement and the sharp tachopause M. E. McIntyre
9. ß-Plane MHD turbulence and dissipation in the solar tachocline P. H. Diamond, K. Itoh, S.-I. Itoh and L. J. Silvers
Part V. Instabilities: 10. Global MHD instabilities of the tachocline P. A. Gilman and P. S. Cally
11. Magnetic buoyancy instabilities in the tachocline D. W. Hughes
12. Instabilities, angular momentum transport and magnetohydrodynamic turbulence G. I. Ogilvie
Part VI. Dynamo Action: 13. The solar dynamo and the tachocline S. M. Tobias and N. O. Weiss
Part VII. Overview: 14. On studying the rotating solar interior R. Rosner
Index.

Subject Areas: Astrophysics [PHVB], Physics [PH]