Characteristics of acoustic-wave heating in simulations of the quiet Sun chromosphere

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Hauptverfasser: Udnæs, Elias R., Pereira, Tiago M. D.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Udnæs, Elias R.
Pereira, Tiago M. D.
author_facet Udnæs, Elias R.
Pereira, Tiago M. D.
contents Understanding energy transfer through the chromosphere is paramount to solving the coronal heating problem. We investigated the energy dissipation of acoustic waves in the chromosphere of the quiet Sun using 3D radiative magnetohydrodynamic (rMHD) simulations. We analysed the characteristics of acoustic-wave heating and its dependence on height and magnetic field configuration. We find the typical heights where acoustic waves steepen into shocks and the frequencies and wavenumbers that most efficiently dissipate wave energy through this steepening. We combined a comprehensive large-scale analysis, spanning the entirety of the simulations for several solar hours, with a detailed view of an individual shock. We find that the flux of propagating acoustic waves correlates closely with viscous dissipation in the chromosphere above the temperature minimum. Acoustic waves with frequencies close to the acoustic cut-off frequency can efficiently heat the quiet Sun chromosphere at the plasma-$β$ = 1 interface and play an important role in the chromospheric energy balance.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_21047
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Characteristics of acoustic-wave heating in simulations of the quiet Sun chromosphere
Udnæs, Elias R.
Pereira, Tiago M. D.
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Understanding energy transfer through the chromosphere is paramount to solving the coronal heating problem. We investigated the energy dissipation of acoustic waves in the chromosphere of the quiet Sun using 3D radiative magnetohydrodynamic (rMHD) simulations. We analysed the characteristics of acoustic-wave heating and its dependence on height and magnetic field configuration. We find the typical heights where acoustic waves steepen into shocks and the frequencies and wavenumbers that most efficiently dissipate wave energy through this steepening. We combined a comprehensive large-scale analysis, spanning the entirety of the simulations for several solar hours, with a detailed view of an individual shock. We find that the flux of propagating acoustic waves correlates closely with viscous dissipation in the chromosphere above the temperature minimum. Acoustic waves with frequencies close to the acoustic cut-off frequency can efficiently heat the quiet Sun chromosphere at the plasma-$β$ = 1 interface and play an important role in the chromospheric energy balance.
title Characteristics of acoustic-wave heating in simulations of the quiet Sun chromosphere
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.21047