PROFESSOR JANARDHAN P.

The analysis of solar observations, over the past three solar cycles, points to the very unusual nature of the solar magnetic fields, starting from around the mid 1990’s. By analyzing solar photospheric magnetic fields as well as from radio observations using the IPS technique, I will show that both solar magnetic field and solar wind micro-turbulence levels in the inner-heliosphere have been steadily decreasing and by 2020, it will be similar to the Sun observed during the “Grand” or Maunder minimum in the period 1645-1715 when sunspots were almost completely absent on the solar photosphere. In addition, our studies of the ionospheric cut-off frequency (foF2) in cycle 23 indicates a significant lowering in foF2, thereby opening up possibilities for ground based radio astronomy observations at the lowest frequencies (< 10 MHz) in the coming years.