The solar differential rotation: a historical view

ISSN： 0004-640X

Source： Astrophysics and Space Science, Vol.328, Iss.1-2, 2010-07, pp. : 269-277

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Abstract

This brief historical review covers the period preceding the advent of helioseismology, when the author actively worked in the field of solar differential rotation and knowledge of the Sun’s dynamics was limited to the observations of surface phenomena, while the interpretation of the internal rotation was demanded solely to theoretical conjectures based on fluid dynamic of convective, rotating fluids. After a survey of the observations, based on both sunspot motions and spectroscopy, which led to the laws of differential rotation, the various attempts to interpret observations on theoretical grounds and to infer the internal dynamics are discussed, also within the dynamo requirements of the velocity field. We point out that the many efforts for a correct description of the Sun’s internal dynamics failed in the light of the helioseismic results. Finally, the recent theoretical efforts, essentially based on powerful computer simulations, for modeling the solar internal dynamic with the aim of reproducing the helioseismic results are outlined.