Solar physics
The Solar Dynamo
The mechanism that generates and regenerates the Sun's magnetic field, converting the energy of plasma motions — differential rotation and convection — into magnetic energy. The dynamo drives the roughly eleven-year sunspot cycle and the reversal of the Sun's polarity; the details, especially the role of the tachocline, remain an active research problem.
Highlights
- ›Generates the Sun's field and drives the activity cycle
The Sun, its layers & phenomena
Across solar physics
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Tachocline
- Associated withThe Sun
- Associated withThe Tachocline
- Associated withDifferential Rotation
- Associated withThe Solar Cycle
- Associated withSunspots
- Associated withDifferential Rotation
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.