We analyze 211 data of the daily sunspot observations during the period of January 4 to November 30 in 1993 and present the daily relative sunspot numbers. During 334 days of the period, the preliminary annual average of the relative sunspot numbers is found to be 61.8 based on 27.1 distinct spots in a single group for 3.7 spot groups. According to the appearance of 203 spot groups, our analysis shows that the mean life time of spot group is about 1 day and 15.5 hours. Our records show that more number of sunspots have appeared in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere by some 2%, indicating that the solar activities of the northern and southern hemisphere are much the same during the period.

Here I report the confirmation of a long-term modulation of a period of 92 + 21 − 13 years with the "time-delay correlation" method on the sunspot data compiled over the last a total of 289 years. This periodicity better specifies the cycle which falls pretty well within Gleissberg cycle, and clearly contrasts with the 55 year grand cycle which Yoshimura (1979) claimed. It is argued that the period-amplitude diagram method. which Yoshimura used, ana lysed peak amplitudes only so that a large number of data were disregarded, and thus was more susceptible to a bias. The planetary tidal force on Sun as for the possible cause to the solar activity was investigated and its possibility was ruled out in view of no period correlation between them.

Making use of the arbitrary shock theory developed by Ulmschneider (1967, 1971) and Ulmschneider and Kalkofen (1978), we have calculated the dissipation rates of upward-travelling slow-mode acoustic shock waves in umbral chromospheres for two umbral chromosphere models, a plateau model by Avrett (1981) and a gradient model by Yun and Beebe (1984). The computed shock dissipation rates are compared with the radiative cooling rate given by Avrett (1981). The results show that the slow-mode acoustic shock waves with a period of about 20 second can heat the low umbral chromospheres travelling with a mechanical energy flux of 2.6 × 10 6 e r g / c m 2 s at a height of 300 ∼ 400 k m above the temperature minimum region.

Simultaneous observations of high resolution spectra of CaII H, K, λ 8542 a n d λ 8498 have been made over a sunspot umbra (SPO 5007) by means of Sacramento Peak Observatory's HIRKHAD program with the Echelle spectrograph at the Vacuum Tower Telescope. The observed spectra scanned by SPO's fast microphotometer have been reduced for later theoretical interpretations. The reduced profiles, sampled over a region which is thought to be coolest over the spot, are presented in units of absolute intensity. The core intensity ratios of I ( K 3 ) / I ( H 3 ) ; a n d I ( λ 8498 ) / I ( λ 8542 ) arc found to be 1.3 and 1.14, respectively.

An extensive molecular equilibrium calculation has been performed under sunspot conditions in order to resolve the current dispute on the presence of C 2 lines in the spectrum of sunspots. Equilibrium abundance of C 2 has been computed under the conditions of umbral cores, umbrae and the normal photosphere. As the results, it is found that the umbral cores yield unfavorable environment for C 2 formation. It is concluded that C 2 molecular lines are not likely tn be observed in the spectrum of sunspots.

The solar magnetic field plays a central role in the field of solar research, both theoretically and practically. Sunspots are an important observational constraint since they are considered a discernable tracer of emerged magnetic flux tubes, providing the longest running records of solar magnetic activity. In this presentation, we first review the statistical properties of the latitudinal distribution of sunspots and discuss their implications. The phase difference between paired wings of the butterfly diagram has been revealed. Sunspots seem to emerge with the exponential distribution on top of slowly varying trends by periods of ~11 years, which is considered multiplicative rather than additive. We also present a concept for the center-oflatitude (COL) and its use. With this, one may sort out a traditional butterfly diagram and find new features. It is found that the centroid of the COL does not migrate monotonically toward the equator, appearing to form an ‘active latitude’. Furthermore, distributions of the COL as a function of latitude depend on solar activity and the solar North-South asymmetry. We believe that these findings serve as crucial diagnostic tools for any potential model of the solar dynamo. Finally, we find that as the Sun modulates the amount of observed galactic cosmic ray influx, the solar North-South asymmetry seems to contribute to the relationship between the solar variability and terrestrial climate change.

Parameters associated with solar minimum have been studied to relate them to solar activity at solar maximum so that one could possibly predict behaviors of an upcoming solar cycle. The number of active days has been known as a reliable indicator of solar activity around solar minimum. Active days are days with sunspots reported on the solar disk. In this work, we have explored the relationship between the sunspot numbers at solar maximum and the characteristics of the monthly number of active days. Specifically, we have statistically examined how the maximum monthly sunspot number of a given solar cycle is correlated with the slope of the linear relationship between monthly sunspot numbers and the monthly number of active days for the corresponding solar cycle. We have calculated the linear correlation coefficient r and the Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient rs for data sets prepared under various conditions. Even though marginal correlations are found, they turn out to be insufficiently significant (r ~ 0.3). Nonetheless, we have confirmed that the slope of the linear relationship between monthly sunspot numbers and the monthly number of active days is less steep when solar cycles belonging to the "Modern Maximum" are considered compared with rests of solar cycles. We conclude, therefore, that the slope of the linear relationship between monthly sunspot numbers and the monthly number of active days is indeed dependent on the solar activity at its maxima, but that this simple relationship should be insufficient as a valid method to predict the following solar activity amplitude.

Since the development of surface magnetic features should reflect the evolution of the solar magnetic field in the deep interior of the Sun, it is crucial to study properties of sunspots and sunspot groups to understand the physical processes working below the solar surface. Here, using the data set of sunspot groups observed at the ButterStar observatory for 3,364 days from 2002 October 16 to 2011 December 31, we investigate temporal change of sunspot groups depending on their Zürich classification type. Our main findings are as follows: (1) There are more sunspot groups in the southern hemisphere in solar cycle 23, while more sunspot groups appear in the northern hemisphere in solar cycle 24. We also note that in the declining phase of solar cycle 23 the decreasing tendency is apparently steeper in the solar northern hemisphere than in the solar southern hemisphere. (2) Some of sunspot group types make a secondary peak in the distribution between the solar maximum and the solar minimum. More importantly, in this particular data set, sunspot groups which have appeared in the solar southern hemisphere make a secondary peak 1 year after a secondary peak occurs in the solar northern hemisphere. (3) The temporal variations of small and large sunspot group numbers are disparate. That is, the number of large sunspot group declines earlier and faster and that the number of small sunspot group begins to rise earlier and faster. (4) The total number of observed sunspot is found to behave more likewise as the small sunspot group does. Hence, according to our findings, behaviors and evolution of small magnetic flux tubes and large magnetic flux tubes seem to be different over solar cycles. Finally, we conclude by briefly pointing out its implication on the space weather forecast.

The ButterStar Observatory at the Dongducheon High School has been working for photographic observations of the Sun since October 16, 2002. In this study, we observed the Sun at the ButterStar observatory for 3,364 days from October 16, 2002 to December 31, 2011, and analyzed the photographic sunspot data obtained in 1,965 days. The correction factor Kb for the entire observing period is 0.9519, which is calculated using the linear least square method to the relationship between the daily sunspot number, RB, and the daily international relative sunspot number, Ri. The yearly correction factor calculated for each year varies slightly from year to year and shows a trend to change along the solar cycle. The correction factor is larger during the solar maxima and smaller during the solar minima in general. This implies that the discrepancy between a relative sunspot number, R, and the daily international relative sunspot number, Ri, can be reduced by using a yearly correction factor. From 2002 to 2008 in solar cycle 23, 35.4% and 64.6% of sunspot groups and 35.1% and 64.9% of isolated sunspots in average occurred in the northern hemisphere and in the southern hemisphere, respectively, and from 2008 to 2011 in solar cycle 24, 61.3% and 38.7% of sunspot groups and 65.0% and 35.0% of isolated sunspots were observed, respectively. This result shows that the occurrence frequency for each type of sunspot group changes along the solar cycle development, which can be interpreted as the emerging and decaying process of sunspot groups is different depending on the phase of solar cycle. Therefore, it is considered that a following study would contribute to the efforts to understand the dependence of the dynamo mechanism on the phase of solar cycle.

We investigate the sunspot area data spanning from solar cycles 1 (March 1755) to 23 (December 2010) in time domain. For this purpose, we employ the Hilbert transform analysis method, which is used in the field of information theory. One of the most important advantages of this method is that it enables the simultaneous study of associations between the amplitude and the phase in various timescales. In this pilot study, we adopt the alternating sunspot area as a function of time, known as Bracewell transformation. We first calculate the instantaneous amplitude and the instantaneous phase. As a result, we confirm a ~22-year periodic behavior in the instantaneous amplitude. We also find that a behavior of the instantaneous amplitude with longer periodicities than the ~22-year periodicity can also be seen, though it is not as straightforward as the obvious ~22-year periodic behavior revealed by the method currently proposed. In addition to these, we note that the phase difference apparently correlates with the instantaneous amplitude. On the other hand, however, we cannot see any obvious association of the instantaneous frequency and the instantaneous amplitude. We conclude by briefly discussing the current status of development of an algorithm for the solar activity forecast based on the method presented, as this work is a part of that larger project.