A Note on the Torsional Oscillation at Solar Minimum

Abstract

We examine the evolution of the zonal flow pattern in the upper solar convection zone during the current extended solar minimum, and compare it with that during the previous minimum. The results suggest that a configuration matching that at the previous minimum was reached during 2008, but that the flow band corresponding to the new cycle has been moving more slowly toward the equator than was observed in the previous cycle, resulting in a gradual increase in the apparent length of the cycle during the 2007-2008 period. The current position of the lower-latitude fast-rotating belt corresponds to that seen around the onset of activity in the previous cycle.