Shear turbulence beneath the solar tachocline

Helioseismic inversions of the Sun's internal angular velocity profile show that the rotation changes from differential in latitude in the convection zone to almost uniform in the radiative region below. The transition occurs in a thin layer, the tachocline, which is the seat of strong shear in the vertical direction. In this Note we examine whether this rotation profile c an lead to shear turbulence at the top of the radiation zone. By using the standard solar model, we show that such turbulence can be generated only in a narrow region 0.695 R. less than or similar to r < 0.713 R. at the equat or and even in narrower layers at higher latitudes. We conclude that the tu rbulence generated by this vertical shear is unlikely to play a significant role in the transport of matter and angular momentum, and that other mecha nisms must be invoked to achieve this.