A subsurface flow of material from the Sun's equator to its poles

Abstract

Gas on the Sun's surface has been observed to flow away from the equator towards both poles. If the same flow persists to great depths, it could play an important dynamical role in the eleven-year sunspot cycle, by carrying the magnetic remnants of the sunspots to high latitudes. An even deeper counterflow, which would be required to maintain mass balance, could explain why new sunspots form at lower latitudes as the cycle progresses. These deep flows would also redistribute angular momentum within the Sun, and therefore help to maintain the faster rotation of the equator relative to the poles. Here we report the detection, using helioseismic tomography, of the longitude-averaged subsurface flow in the outer 4% of the Sun. We find that the subsurface flow is approximately constant in this depth range, and that the speed is similar to that seen on the surface. This demonstrates that the surface flow penetrates deeply, so that it is likely to be an important factor in solar dynamics.