Modeling the Solar Transition Region: Effects of Spatial Resolution on the Atmospheric Structure, Emission and Non-Equilibrium Ionization

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Matsumoto, Takuma
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Matsumoto, Takuma
author_facet Matsumoto, Takuma
contents The solar transition region (TR) is a narrow interface between the chromosphere and corona, where emitted radiation contains critical information pertinent to coronal heating processes. We conducted 2-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamics simulations using adaptive mesh refinement to spatially resolve the fine structure of the TR while simultaneously capturing the larger-scale dynamics originating from surface convection. The time evolution of ionization fractions for oxygen ions is computed alongside the simulations. A minimum grid size of 1.25 km is achieved in the TR, enabling adequate resolution of the upper TR (log$_{10}T \gtrsim$ 5), although the lower TR (log$_{10}T \lesssim$ 5) remains under-resolved. Doppler shifts and nonthermal widths synthesized from TR lines exhibit convergence with grid sizes as coarse as 40 km, though some discrepancies persist between our results and observed TR line properties. A notable enhancement in emission from \ion{O}{6} lines, converging at a grid size of 2.5 km, shows an intensity 1.2 times that expected under ionization equilibrium, attributable to shock interactions with the TR. While model refinements are still required, our ability to resolve the TR offers critical insights into TR line characteristics arising from non-equilibrium ionization states, advancing our understanding of the coronal heating problem.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_11237
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Modeling the Solar Transition Region: Effects of Spatial Resolution on the Atmospheric Structure, Emission and Non-Equilibrium Ionization
Matsumoto, Takuma
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
The solar transition region (TR) is a narrow interface between the chromosphere and corona, where emitted radiation contains critical information pertinent to coronal heating processes. We conducted 2-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamics simulations using adaptive mesh refinement to spatially resolve the fine structure of the TR while simultaneously capturing the larger-scale dynamics originating from surface convection. The time evolution of ionization fractions for oxygen ions is computed alongside the simulations. A minimum grid size of 1.25 km is achieved in the TR, enabling adequate resolution of the upper TR (log$_{10}T \gtrsim$ 5), although the lower TR (log$_{10}T \lesssim$ 5) remains under-resolved. Doppler shifts and nonthermal widths synthesized from TR lines exhibit convergence with grid sizes as coarse as 40 km, though some discrepancies persist between our results and observed TR line properties. A notable enhancement in emission from \ion{O}{6} lines, converging at a grid size of 2.5 km, shows an intensity 1.2 times that expected under ionization equilibrium, attributable to shock interactions with the TR. While model refinements are still required, our ability to resolve the TR offers critical insights into TR line characteristics arising from non-equilibrium ionization states, advancing our understanding of the coronal heating problem.
title Modeling the Solar Transition Region: Effects of Spatial Resolution on the Atmospheric Structure, Emission and Non-Equilibrium Ionization
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.11237