Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-qsmjn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-20T03:53:02.645Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Grand minima of solar activity during the last millennia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2012

Ilya G. Usoskin ,
Sami K. Solanki  and
Gennady A. Kovaltsov
Ilya G. Usoskin
Affiliation:
Sodankyä Geophysical Observatory (Oulu unit), University of Oulu, 90014Finland email: ilya.usoskin@oulu.fi
Sami K. Solanki
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Gyeonggi, 446-701, Korea
Gennady A. Kovaltsov
Affiliation:
Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, 194021 St. Petersburg, Russia
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In this review we discuss the occurrence and statistical properties of Grand minima based on the available data covering the last millennia. In particular, we consider the historical record of sunspot numbers covering the last 400 years as well as records of cosmogenic isotopes in natural terrestrial archives, used to reconstruct solar activity for up to the last 11.5 millennia, i.e. throughout the Holocene. Using a reconstruction of solar activity from cosmogenic isotope data, we analyze statistics of the occurrence of Grand minima. We find that: the Sun spends about most of the time at moderate activity, 1/6 in a Grand minimum and some time also in a Grand maximum state; Occurrence of Grand minima is not a result of long-term cyclic variations but is defined by stochastic/chaotic processes; There is a tendency for Grand minima to cluster with the recurrence rate of roughly 2000-3000 years, with a weak ≈210-yr periodicity existing within the clusters. Grand minima occur of two different types: shorter than 100 years (Maunder-type) and long ≈150 years (Spörer-type). It is also discussed that solar cycles (most possibly not sunspots cycle) could exist during the Grand minima, perhaps with stretched length and asymmetric sunspot latitudinal distribution.

These results set new observational constraints on long-term solar and stellar dynamo models.

Keywords

Sun: activity(Sun:) solar-terrestrial relations
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 7 , Symposium S286: Comparative Magnetic Minima: Characterizing quiet times in the Sun and Stars , October 2011 , pp. 372 - 382
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2012

References

Abreu, J. A., Beer, J., Steinhilber, F., Tobias, S. M., & Weiss, N. O. 2008, Geophys. Res. Lett. 352, L20109Google Scholar
Arlt, R. 2008, Solar Phys. 247, 399CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bard, E., Raisbeck, G., Yiou, F., & Jouzel, J. 1997, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 150, 453CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barnard, L., Lockwood, M., Hapgood, M. A., Owens, M. J., Davis, C. J., & Steinhilber, F. 2011, Geophys. Res. Lett. 381, L16103Google Scholar
Beer, J. 2000, Space Sci. Rev. 94, 53CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beer, J., Tobias, S., & Weiss, N. 1998, Solar Phys. 181, 237CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beer, J., Blinov, A., Bonani, G., Hofmann, H., & Finkel, R. 1990, Nature 347, 164CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berggren, A.-M., Beer, J., Possnert, G., Aldahan, A., Kubik, P., Christl, M., Johnsen, S. J., Abreu, J., & Vinther, B. M. 2009, Geophys. Res. Lett. 36, L11801Google Scholar
Charbonneau, P. 2001, Solar Phys. 199, 385CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowling, T. G. 1945, MNRAS 105, 166CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Damon, P. & Sonett, C. 1991, in: Sonett, C., Giampapa, M., & Matthews, M. (eds.), The Sun in Time, (Tucson, U.S.A.: University of Arizona Press), p. 360Google Scholar
de Carvalho, J. & Prado, C. 2000, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Toma, G., Gibson, S., Emery, B., & Kozyra, J. 2010, in: Maksimovic, M., Issautier, K., Meyer-Vernet, N., Moncuquet, M., & Pantellini, F. (eds.), Proc. AIP Conf. v. 1216 (Melville, New York: AIP) p. 317Google Scholar
Dicke, R. H., 1978, Nature 276, 676CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donadini, F., Korte, M., & Constable, C. 2010, Space Sci. Rev. 155, 219CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eddy, J. 1976, Science 192, 1189CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eddy, J. 1977, Scientific American 236, 80CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Field, C., Schmidt, G., Koch, D., & Salyk, C. 2006, J. Geophys. Res. 111, D15107Google Scholar
Finkel, R. & Nishiizumi, K. 1997, J. Geophys. Res. 102, 26699CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fligge, M., Solanki, S. K., & Beer, J. 1999, A& A 346, 313Google Scholar
Goslar, T. 2003, PAGES News 11, 12CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hathaway, D. H. 2010, Living Rev. Solar Phys. 7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heikkilä, U., Beer, J., & Feichter, J. 2009, Atmos. Chem. Phys. 9, 515CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horiuchi, K., Uchida, T., Sakamoto, Y., Ohta, A., Matsuzaki, H., Shibata, Y., & Motoyama, H. 2008, Quat. Geochronology 3, 253CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoyng, P. 1993, A& A 272, 321Google Scholar
Hoyt, D. & Schatten, K. 1998, Solar Phys. 179, 189CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korte, M. & Constable, C. 2005, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 236, 348CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kovaltsov, G. A. & Usoskin, I. G. 2010, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 291, 182CrossRefGoogle Scholar
KẶivský, L. & Pejml, K. 1988, Publ. Astron. Inst. Czech Acad. Sci. 75, 32Google Scholar
Masarik, J. & Beer, J. 2009, J. Geophys. Res. 114, D11103Google Scholar
McDonald, F. B., Webber, W. R., & Reames, D. V. 2010, Geophys. Res. Lett. 371, L18101Google Scholar
Miyahara, H., Kitazawa, K., Nagaya, K., Yokoyama, Y., Matsuzaki, H., Masuda, K., Nakamura, T., & Muraki, Y. 2010, J. Cosmol. 8, 1970Google Scholar
Miyahara, H., Masuda, K., Muraki, Y., Furuzawa, H., Menjo, H., & Nakamura, T. 2004, Solar Phys. 224, 317CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miyahara, H., Masuda, K., Muraki, Y., Kitagawa, H., & Nakamura, T. 2006, J. Geophys. Res. 111, A03103Google Scholar
Moss, D., Sokoloff, D., Usoskin, I., & Tutubalin, V. 2008, Solar Phys. 250, 221CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mursula, K., Usoskin, I., & Kovaltsov, G. 2001, Solar Phys. 198, 51CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peristykh, A. & Damon, P. 1998, Solar Phys. 177, 343CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reimer, P., Baillie, M., Bard, E., Bayliss, A., Beck, J., Bertrand, C. et al. , 2004, Radiocarbon 46, 1029Google Scholar
Ribes, J. & Nesme-Ribes, E. 1993, A&A 276, 549Google Scholar
Scherer, K., Fichtner, H., Borrmann, T., Beer, J., Desorgher, L., Flükiger, E., Fahr, H.-J., Ferreira, S. E. S., Langner, U. W., Potgieter, M. S., Heber, B., Masarik, J., Shaviv, N., & Veizer, J. 2006, Space Sci. Rev. 127, 327CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schrijver, C. J., Livingston, W. C., Woods, T. N., & Mewaldt, R. A. 2011, Geophys. Res. Lett. 380, L06701Google Scholar
Schüssler, M., Schmitt, D., & Ferriz-Mas, A. 1997, in: Schmieder, B., Iniesta, J. del Toro, & Vázquez, M. (eds.) 1st Advances in Solar Physics Euroconference: Advances in the Physics of Sunspots, ASP Conference Series, Vol. 118, (San Francisco, U.S.A.: Astronomical Society of the Pacific), p. 39Google Scholar
Schwadron, N. A., Boyd, A. J., Kozarev, K., Golightly, M., Spence, H., Townsend, L. W., & Owens, M. 2010, Space Weather 80, S00E04Google Scholar
Siegenthaler, U., Heimann, M., & Oeschger, H. 1980, Radiocarbon 22, 177CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silverman, S. 1992, Rev. Geophys. 30, 333CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snowball, I. & Muscheler, R. 2007, Holocene 17, 851CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sokoloff, D. 2004, Solar Phys. 224, 145CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solanki, S. K. & Krivova, N. 2011, Science (in press)Google Scholar
Solanki, S., Krivova, N. A., Schüssler, M., & Fligge, M. 2002, A& A 396, 1029Google Scholar
Solanki, S., Usoskin, I., Kromer, B., Schüssler, M., & Beer, J. 2004, Nature 431, 1084CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sonett, C. 1983, J. Geophys. Res. 88, 3225CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soon, W.-H. & Yaskell, S. 2003, The Maunder Minimum and the Variable Sun-Earth Connection (Singapore; River Edge, U.S.A.: World Scientific)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M. & Braziunas, T. 1989, Nature 338, 405CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M., Braziunas, T., Becker, B., & Kromer, B. 1991, Quatern. Res. 35, 1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M., Reimer, P., Bard, E., Burr, G., Hughen, K., Kromer, B., McCormac, G., v.d. Plicht, J., & Spurk, M. 1998, Radiocarbon 40, 1041CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suess, H. 1980, Radiocarbon 22, 200CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tans, P., de Jong, A., & Mook, W. 1979, Nature 280, 826CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Usoskin, I. & Kromer, B. 2005, Radiocarbon 47, 31CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Usoskin, I., Mursula, K., & Kovaltsov, G. 2001, J. Geophys. Res. 106, 16039CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Usoskin, I., Solanki, S., Schüssler, M., Mursula, K., & Alanko, K. 2003, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Usoskin, I. G. 2008, Living Rev. Solar Phys. 5, 3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Usoskin, I. G., Horiuchi, K., Solanki, S., Kovaltsov, G. A., & Bard, E. 2009a, J. Geophys. Res. 114, A03112Google Scholar
Usoskin, I. G., Mursula, K., Arlt, R., & Kovaltsov, G. A. 2009b, ApJL 700, L154CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Usoskin, I. G., Sokoloff, D., & Moss, D. 2009c, Solar Phys. 254, 345CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Usoskin, I. G., Solanki, S. K., & Korte, M. 2006, Geophys. Res. Lett. 33, 8103Google Scholar
Usoskin, I. G., Solanki, S. K., & Kovaltsov, G. A. 2007, A&A 471, 301Google Scholar
Vaquero, J. 2007, Adv. Space Res. 40, 929CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vaquero, J. M., Gallego, M. C., Usoskin, I. G., & Kovaltsov, G. A. 2011, ApJL 731, L24CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vonmoos, M., Beer, J., & Muscheler, R. 2006, J. Geophys. Res. 111, A10105Google Scholar
Voss, H., Kurths, J., & Schwarz, U. 1996, J. Geophys. Res. 101, 15637CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, S., Odah, H., & Shaw, J. 2000, Geophys. J. Internat. 140, 158CrossRefGoogle Scholar