Investigation of the Differential Rotation by H-Alpha Filaments and Long-Lived Magnetic Features for Solar Activity Cycles 20 and 21

Abstract

For solar activity cycles 20 and 21 (1966-1985) the solar differential rotation has been investigated using H{\alpha} filaments and relatively small-scale long-lived magnetic features with negative and positive polarities. We used annual averaged angular velocities of quiescent H{\alpha} filaments from H{\alpha} photoheliograms of the Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory film collection and selected long-lived magnetic features from the McIntosh atlas (McIntosh, Willock, and Thompson, Atlas of Stackplots, NGDC, 1991). We have determined coefficients of Faye's formulas for H{\alpha} filaments as well as for long-lived magnetic features and have found that for solar cycles 20 and 21 the H{\alpha} filaments have lower rotation rates and rotated more differentially than the long-lived magnetic features.