Abstract:
In this paper, we investigate the spatial distribution of solar
flares in the northern and southern hemispheres of the Sun that occurred
during the period 1996 to 2003. This period of investigation includes the
ascending phase, the maximum and part of the descending phase of solar
cycle 23. It is revealed that the flare activity during this cycle is low com-
pared to the previous solar cycle, indicating the violation of Gnevyshev–Ohl
rule. The distribution of flares with respect to heliographic latitudes shows
a significant asymmetry between northern and southern hemisphere which
is maximum during the minimum phase of the solar cycle. The present
study indicates that the activity dominates the northern hemisphere in general during the rising phase of the cycle (1997–2000). The dominance of
northern hemisphere shifted towards the southern hemisphere after the solar
maximum in 2000 and remained there in the successive years. Although
the annual variations in the asymmetry time series during cycle 23 are quite
different from cycle 22, they are comparable to cycle 21.
