LARGE-SCALE CONVECTION CELLS IN THE SOLAR ATMOSPHERE

The directions and velocities of meridional plasma motions are investigated using Doppler shifts of the magnetically non-split line Fe 557.6 nm. Possible drifts of the spectrograph were controlled by measuring nearly iodine lines from a laboratory source. The scattered light was kept low by using the Capri Coudé refractor mainly around local noon. There is a general scatter of about ±20 to ±50 m s-1 in the yearly mean results. The scatter is up to -200 m s-1 for the year 1985. The results are compared with published data. Although some systematic meridional plasma motions could be detected from the average of the meridional flows within the whole observing period 1982 until 1986, the final analysis suggests, that all meridional motions averaged over half a solar cycle are below ±10 m s-1. © 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.