Variations in Solar Luminosity from Time Scales of Minutes to Months

Abstract

We present the power spectrum of solar irradiance during 1985 and 1987 obtained from the ACRIM project from time scales of minutes to months. At low frequency the spectra are Lorentzian. At higher frequencies they are proportional to $f^{-{1/2}}$. A linear, stochastic model of the turbulent heat transfer between the granulation layer (modeled as a homogeneous thin layer with a radiative boundary condition) and the rest of the convection zone (modeled as a homogeneous thick layer with thermal and diffusion constants appropriate the lower convection zone) predicts the observed spectrum.