Latitudinal Profiles of the Photospheric Magnetic Field in Solar Cycles 19–21

Abstract

For various groups of photospheric magnetic fields differing in strength, averaged synoptic maps have been obtained from the data of the Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory (1976–2003). The latitudinal profiles of magnetic field fluxes are considered individually for each 5-G field strength interval. Changes in the maxima of the latitude profiles and their localization in the latitude are studied. The results are evidence that the latitudinal distribution of the magnetic fields changes significantly at field strengths of 5, 15, and 50 G. The magnetic flux for groups of fields differing in strength decreases monotonically as the strength increases, starting from B > 5 G; the fluxes of the southern hemisphere exceed those of the northern hemisphere. A very special group is formed by the weakest fields with B < 5 G, which are opposite in phase to stronger fields in terms of localization and time changes.