Modelling solar irradiance variations: Comparison with observations, including line-ratio variations

Abstract

Solar irradiance variations show a strong temporal and spectral dependence. The progression of the Sun through its activity cycle as well as solar rotation are mirrored in the irradiance variations. The spectral dependence is such that the variations are several magnitudes larger in the EUV than in the visible or infrared. We present a simple 3-component model that is based on the assumption that changes in the solar flux are exclusively due to changes in spot and facular coverage. We compare our model to observations of the spectral solar irradiance variations. Despite its simplicity, we find that the agreement between our model and the observations is surprisingly good. We also explore the reliability and the limitations of our approach by comparing observations of the solar facular contrast and of the changes in spectral line depths with our calculations.