Ring diagram analysis of solar oscillation power spectra obtained from MDI
data is carried out to study the velocity fields in the outer part of the solar
convection zone. The three dimensional power spectra are fitted to a model
which has a Lorentzian profile in frequency and which includes the advection of
the wave front by horizontal flows, to obtain the two components of the
sub-surface flows as a function of the horizontal wave number and radial order
of the oscillation modes. This information is then inverted using OLA and RLS
methods to infer the variation in horizontal flow velocity with depth. The
average rotation velocity at different latitudes obtained by this technique
agrees reasonably with helioseismic estimates made using frequency splitting
data. The shear layer just below the solar surface appears to consist of two
parts with the outer part up to a depth of 4 Mm, where the velocity gradient
does not show any reversal up to a latitude of 60 degrees. In the deeper part
the velocity gradient shows reversal in sign around a latitude of 55 degrees.
The zonal flow velocities inferred in the outermost layers appears to be
similar to those obtained by other measurements. A meridional flow from equator
polewards is found. It has a maximum amplitude of about 30 m/s near the surface
and the amplitude is nearly constant in the outer shear layer.Comment: aastex, 12 figures, to appear in Ap.
