AR-2019-2020

Figure 21: Top panel: AIA 1600 Angstrom channel image in the background on March 3, 2017 showing AR 12641. The over-plotted white boxes show the IRIS raster FoV between February (’F’) 28 to March (’M’) 9, 2017. Middle and bottom panels: Zoomed-in views of the IRIS raster FoV between March 1 and 8 as observed by AIA 1600 Angstrom channel. Formation of sunspots and space weather Two important goals of solar physics are to understand the solar dynamo mechanism that is respon- sible for the cyclic global magnetic activity of the Sun, and to be able to make an early prediction of energetic events, such as coronal mass ejections and solar flares, which have direct impact on terres- trial life. These phenomena are powered by magnetic fields generated within the Sun. The sunspot formation mechanism is the missing part of the overall distributed turbulent dynamo paradigm of the solar magnetism, as in most studies the sunspot-like magnetic concentrations do not form in a self-consistent manner. This is remedied to some extent in the ongoing numerical work by Nis- hant Singh and his collaborators as they now have the first hints of spot-like structures appearing spontaneously on the surface.