The coronal power spectrum from MHD mode conversion above sunspots

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Miriyala, Hemanthi, Morton, Richard J., Khomenko, Elena, Antolin, Patrick, Botha, Gert J. J.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Miriyala, Hemanthi
Morton, Richard J.
Khomenko, Elena
Antolin, Patrick
Botha, Gert J. J.
author_facet Miriyala, Hemanthi
Morton, Richard J.
Khomenko, Elena
Antolin, Patrick
Botha, Gert J. J.
contents Sunspots are intense regions of magnetic flux that are rooted deep below the photosphere. It is well established that sunspots host magnetohydrodynamic waves, with numerous observations showing a connection to the internal acoustic (or p-)modes of the Sun. The p-modes are fast waves below the equipartition layer and are thought to undergo a double mode conversion as they propagate upwards into the atmosphere of sunspots, which can generate Alfvénic modes in the upper atmosphere. We employ 2.5D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) numerical simulations to investigate the adiabatic wave propagation and examine the resulting power spectra of coronal Alfvénic waves. A broadband wave source is used that has a 1D power spectrum which mimics aspects of the observed p-mode power spectrum. We examine magnetoacoustic wave propagation and mode conversion from the photosphere to the corona. Frequency filtering of the upwardly propagating acoustic waves is a natural consequence of a gravitationally stratified atmosphere, and plays a key role in shaping the power spectra of mode converted waves. We demonstrate that the slow, fast magnetoacoustic waves and Alfvén waves above the equipartition layer have similarly shaped power spectra, which are modified versions of the driver spectrum. Notably, the results reveal that the coronal wave power spectra have a peak at a higher frequency than that of the underlying p-mode driver. This matches observations of coronal Alfvénic waves and further supports the role of mode conversion process as a mechanism for Alfvénic wave generation in the Sun's atmosphere.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_03094
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The coronal power spectrum from MHD mode conversion above sunspots
Miriyala, Hemanthi
Morton, Richard J.
Khomenko, Elena
Antolin, Patrick
Botha, Gert J. J.
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Sunspots are intense regions of magnetic flux that are rooted deep below the photosphere. It is well established that sunspots host magnetohydrodynamic waves, with numerous observations showing a connection to the internal acoustic (or p-)modes of the Sun. The p-modes are fast waves below the equipartition layer and are thought to undergo a double mode conversion as they propagate upwards into the atmosphere of sunspots, which can generate Alfvénic modes in the upper atmosphere. We employ 2.5D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) numerical simulations to investigate the adiabatic wave propagation and examine the resulting power spectra of coronal Alfvénic waves. A broadband wave source is used that has a 1D power spectrum which mimics aspects of the observed p-mode power spectrum. We examine magnetoacoustic wave propagation and mode conversion from the photosphere to the corona. Frequency filtering of the upwardly propagating acoustic waves is a natural consequence of a gravitationally stratified atmosphere, and plays a key role in shaping the power spectra of mode converted waves. We demonstrate that the slow, fast magnetoacoustic waves and Alfvén waves above the equipartition layer have similarly shaped power spectra, which are modified versions of the driver spectrum. Notably, the results reveal that the coronal wave power spectra have a peak at a higher frequency than that of the underlying p-mode driver. This matches observations of coronal Alfvénic waves and further supports the role of mode conversion process as a mechanism for Alfvénic wave generation in the Sun's atmosphere.
title The coronal power spectrum from MHD mode conversion above sunspots
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.03094