In article , "starman"
wrote:

I thought the solar cycle is primarily driven by the effect of the sun's
differential rotation on it's magnetic field. If this is correct, how
does it relate to what you say (above) about the field lines becoming
less 'twisted' during the declining phase of the cycle?

Differential rotation winds the field up. When the fields get really wound
up and tangled, reconnection becomes more frequent, breaking long tangled
field lines into shorter loops. Solar flares are the result of
reconnection events. If you see them, the field is untangling.

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| John Doty "You can't confuse me, that's my job."
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