Hemispheric Helicity Trend for Solar Cycle 23

Abstract

Applying the same methods we used in solar cycle 22, we study active region vector magnetograms, full-disk X-ray images, and full-disk line-of-sight magnetograms to derive the helicity of solar magnetic fields in the first 4 years of solar cycle 23. We find that these three data sets all exhibit the same two key tendencies-significant scatter and weak hemispheric asymmetry-as were observed in solar cycle 22. This supports the interpretation of these tendencies as signatures of the writhing of magnetic flux by turbulence in the convection zone.