Study of Longperiod Global Oscillations of Sun Through Spherical Harmonic Fourier Analysis of Sunspot Activity

Abstract

A spherical harmonic Fourier analysis of the maximum areas of sunspot groups listed in Ledgers I and II of Greenwich photoheliographic results for 1933 - 1954 yield significant peaks at the 11 y periodicity for some spherical harmonic modes: especially the mode (l = 6, m = 0). A similar analysis of the daily areas of the spotgroups during 1944 - 1954 yields 11 y periodicity peaks only for some non-axisymmetric modes. These results suggest that the sunspot activity may be physically related to long period global oscillations of the sun.