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AsteriaStar
Solar interior

The Tachocline

The thin shear layer near seven-tenths of the solar radius, where the rigidly rotating radiative interior meets the differentially rotating convection zone. This velocity shear is widely thought to be where the Sun's large-scale magnetic field is generated — the seat of the solar dynamo.

Highlights

  • The shear layer thought to seat the solar dynamo

Across solar physics

Knowledge connections

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.