This book offers an overview of solar physics with a focus on solar
activity, particularly the activity cycle. It is known that solar
activity varies periodically, but there are also phases of
intermittency, such as the Maunder minimum, during which solar activity
is very low or high over several decades. The book provides a brief
introduction to chaos theory and investigates solar activity in terms of
its chaotic behavior. It also discusses how intermittent phases of solar
activity have affected and can affect Earth's climate and long-term
space weather, and reviews the underlying theories relating to the solar
dynamo mechanism. Furthermore, each chapter includes references to
scientific literature (review articles and papers) so that readers can
delve deeper into the subjects covered. This richly illustrated book
will appeal to a wide readership, and is also useful as a textbook for
courses in solar physics and astrophysics.