  This paper deals with the analysis of sunspot number time series using the
Hurst exponent. We use the rescaled range (R/S) analysis to estimate the Hurst
exponent for 259-year and 11360-year sunspot data. The results show a varying
degree of persistence over shorter and longer time scales corresponding to
distinct values of the Hurst exponent. We explain the presence of these
multiple Hurst exponents by their resemblance to the deterministic chaotic
attractors having multiple centers of rotation.
