Mean field solar dynamo models which employ differential
rotation profiles from helioseismology observations have been
relatively successful at reproducing the observed features of the
large scale solar magnetic cycle. However, important questions
like the location of the dynamo action, the nature of the alpha
effect, or the parity problem remain matters of debate.
Aiming to remove the ambiguity of the models and trying to determine the real
nature of the dynamo operating inside the Sun, we present here the
results for a series of mean field solar dynamo simulations where at least part of these questions have been critically addressed.
Our results reveal the importance of the turbulent magnetic pumping mechanism operating within the convective layer in solving some of the current limitations in mean field dynamo modeling,
such as the storage of the magnetic flux and the latitudinal distribution of the sunspots. If a meridional flow is assumed to occur only in the upper part of the convective zone, it is the full turbulent pumping that regulates both the period of the solar cycle and the latitudinal distribution of the sunspot activity. In models that consider both shear near the surface and the full pumping, the polar toroidal fields are efficiently advected inwards, and the toroidal magnetic activity survives only at the observed latitudes near the solar equator. With regard to the parity of the magnetic
field, only models that combine turbulent pumping with near-surface shear converge always to the observed dipolar parity. These results suggest that the equartorward motion of the observed magnetic activity is governed by the latitudinal pumping of the toroidal magnetic field rather than by a large scale coherent meridional flow as proposed in earlier work in the literature.
Our results also support the idea that the parity problem is related to the quadrupolar imprint of the meridional flow on the poloidal component of the magnetic field and the turbulent pumping positively contributes to wash out this imprint.