No Arabic abstract
Five-minutes oscillations is one of the basic properties of solar convection. Observations show mixture of a large number of acoustic wave fronts propagating from their sources. We investigate the process of acoustic waves excitation from the point of view of individual events, by using realistic 3D radiative hydrodynamic simulation of the quiet Sun. The results show that the excitation events are related to dynamics vortex tubes (or swirls) in the intergranular lanes. These whirlpool-like flows are characterized by very strong horizontal velocities (7 - 11 km/s) and downflows (~ 7 km/s), and are accompanied by strong decreases of the temperature, density and pressure at the surface and in a ~ 0.5-1 Mm deep layer below the surface. High-speed whirlpool flows can attract and capture other vortices. According to our simulation results, the processes of the vortex interaction, such as vortex annihilation, can cause the excitation of acoustic waves.
We use Hinode/SOT Ca II H-line and blue continuum broadband observations to study the presence and power of high frequency acoustic waves at high spatial resolution. We find that there is no dominant power at small spatial scales; the integrated power using the full resolution of Hinode (0.05 pixels, 0.16 resolution) is larger than the power in the data degraded to 0.5 pixels (TRACE pixel size) by only a factor of 1.2. At 20 mHz the ratio is 1.6. Combining this result with the estimates of the acoustic flux based on TRACE data of Fossum & Carlsson (2006), we conclude that the total energy flux in acoustic waves of frequency 5-40 mHz entering the internetwork chromosphere of the quiet Sun is less than 800 W m$^{-2}$, inadequate to balance the radiative losses in a static chromosphere by a factor of five.
We study the propagation and dissipation of magnetohydrodynamic waves in a set of numerical models that each include a solar--like stratified atmosphere and a magnetic field with a null point. All simulations have the same magnetic field configuration but different transition region heights. Compressive wave packets introduced in the photospheric portion of the simulations refract towards the null and collapse it into a current sheet, which then undergoes reconnection. The collapsed null forms a current sheet due to a strong magnetic pressure gradient caused by the inability of magnetic perturbations to cross the null. Although the null current sheet undergoes multiple reconnection episodes due to repeated reflections off the lower boundary, we find no evidence of oscillatory reconnection arising from the dynamics of the null itself. Wave mode conversion around the null generates a series of slow mode shocks localized near each separatrix. The shock strength is asymmetric across each separatrix, and subsequent shock damping therefore creates a tangential discontinuity across each separatrix, with long--lived current densities. A parameter study of the injected wave energy to reach the null confirms our previous WKB estimates. Finally, using current estimates of the photospheric acoustic power, we estimate that the shock and Ohmic heating we describe may account for $approx1-10%$ of the radiative losses from coronal bright points with similar topologies, and are similarly insufficient to account for losses from larger structures such as ephemeral regions. At the same time, the dynamics are comparable to proposed mechanisms for generating type--II spicules.
Aims: To study the heating of solar chromospheric magnetic and nonmagnetic regions by acoustic and magnetoacoustic waves, the deposited acoustic-energy flux derived from observations of strong chromospheric lines is compared with the total integrated radiative losses. Methods: A set of 23 quiet-Sun and weak-plage regions were observed in the Mg II k and h lines with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). The deposited acoustic-energy flux was derived from Doppler velocities observed at two different geometrical heights corresponding to the middle and upper chromosphere. A set of scaled nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium 1D hydrostatic semi-empirical models (obtained by fitting synthetic to observed line profiles) was applied to compute the radiative losses. The characteristics of observed waves were studied by means of a wavelet analysis. Results: Observed waves propagate upward at supersonic speed. In the quiet chromosphere, the deposited acoustic flux is sufficient to balance the radiative losses and maintain the semi-empirical temperatures in the layers under study. In the active-region chromosphere, the comparison shows that the contribution of acoustic-energy flux to the radiative losses is only 10 - 30 %. Conclusions: Acoustic and magnetoacoustic waves play an important role in the chromospheric heating, depositing a main part of their energy in the chromosphere. Acoustic waves compensate for a substantial fraction of the chromospheric radiative losses in quiet regions. In active regions, their contribution is too small to balance the radiative losses and the chromosphere has to be heated by other mechanisms.
We unveil the generation of universal morphologies of fluid interfaces by radiation pressure whatever is the nature of the wave, acoustic or optical. Experimental observations reveal interface deformations endowed with step-like features that are shown to result from the interplay between the wave propagation and the shape of the interface. The results are supported by numerical simulations and a quantitative interpretation based on the waveguiding properties of the field is provided.
We investigate the fine structure of magnetic fields in the atmosphere of the quiet Sun. We use photospheric magnetic field measurements from {sc Sunrise}/IMaX with unprecedented spatial resolution to extrapolate the photospheric magnetic field into higher layers of the solar atmosphere with the help of potential and force-free extrapolation techniques. We find that most magnetic loops which reach into the chromosphere or higher have one foot point in relatively strong magnetic field regions in the photosphere. $91%$ of the magnetic energy in the mid chromosphere (at a height of 1 Mm) is in field lines, whose stronger foot point has a strength of more than 300 G, i.e. above the equipartition field strength with convection. The loops reaching into the chromosphere and corona are also found to be asymmetric in the sense that the weaker foot point has a strength $B < 300$ G and is located in the internetwork. Such loops are expected to be strongly dynamic and have short lifetimes, as dictated by the properties of the internetwork fields.