Differential Rotation of Individual Sunspots and Pores

Abstract The analysis of the rotation rate of individual sunspots and pores was performed according to the data from the processing of observations by the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager in the period 2010–2024. Sunspots stood out in the images in the continuum. To accurately track the spots, we processed five images for each day. To determine the polarity of the magnetic field, we superimposed the contours of sunspots on observations of magnetic fields at the same time. This made it possible to track the movement of more than 210,000 individual sunspots and pores. It is found that the rotation rate is influenced by the rotation rate of the solar atmosphere and the systematic proper motions of the spots. Sunspots and pores of the leading polarity have a rate of meridional movement ≈2.4% faster than spots of the trailing polarity. We also found that regular sunspots, which have umbrae and penumbrae, rotate ≈1.5% faster than solar pores, in which penumbrae are absent. The dependence of the rotation rate on the area is found. For sunspots with an area of S > 10 μ hm, the rotation rate is practically independent of the area. Small sunspots, with an area of S < 10 μ hm, rotate ≈1.7% more slowly.