The phenomenon where different parts of a rotating body spin at different rates, particularly observed in the Sun where the equator rotates faster than the poles. This creates a shearing motion that helps generate and amplify magnetic fields.
From Latin 'differentia' (difference) and 'rotatio' (turning). The term emerged in the 19th century when astronomers tracking sunspots discovered that the Sun doesn't rotate as a rigid body like a solid planet, but instead shows varying rotation periods at different latitudes.
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