Author:
Wilson, Ian Robert George
Category:
Research Papers
Sub-Category:
Astrophysics
Date Published:
December 2, 2011
Keywords:
Planetary tidal forces, Solar Activity, Jupiter, Venus, Earth, Grand Solar Minima
Abstract:
A parameter that is indicative of the peak planetary tidal forces acting upon the Sun i.e. changes in the alignment of Jupiter, at the time of inferior and superior conjunctions of Venus and Earth, naturally exhibits characteristics that either mimic or replicate five of the main properties of the solar cycle. These
properties include: the Schwabe cycle; the Hale cycle; the Gnevyshev−Ohl rule; the extended solar cycle; and the sunspot cycle's inherent memory. This result strongly supports the proposal by Hung (2007) that the solar sunspot cycle is being influenced by variations in the planetary tidal forces acting upon the Sun. This conclusion is supported by the fact that over the last thousand years, every time the peak planetary tidal forces acting upon the Sun are at their weakest, there has been a period of very low solar activity known as a Grand Solar minimum. The current tidal forces acting upon the Sun indicate that the activity level on the Sun is either in the early stages of an Oort−like minimum that will last from 2005−2045, or it is about half way through a period of high solar activity similar to the Medieval Maximum. We believe that evidence pointing towards a significant decrease in the level of sunspot activity in the upcoming solar cycles favours the former conclusion.
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