Chaotic mean wind in turbulent thermal convection and long-term correlations in solar activity

Abstract

It is shown that correlation function of the mean wind velocity in a turbulent thermal convection (Rayleigh number $Ra \sim 10^{11}$) exhibits exponential decay with a very long correlation time, while corresponding largest Lyapunov exponent is certainly positive. These results together with the reconstructed phase portrait indicate presence of a chaotic component in the examined mean wind. Telegraph approximation is also used to study relative contribution of the chaotic and stochastic components to the mean wind fluctuations and an equilibrium between these components has been studied. Since solar activity is based on the thermal convection processes, it is reasoned that the observed solar activity long-term correlations can be an imprint of the mean wind chaotic properties. In particular, correlation function of the daily sunspots number exhibits exponential decay with a very long correlation time and corresponding largest Lyapunov exponent is certainly positive, also relative contribution of the chaotic and stochastic components follows the same pattern as for the convection mean wind.