Solar surface emerging flux regions: a comparative study of radiative MHD modeling and Hinode SOT observations
arXiv:0810.5723 · doi:10.1086/591245
Abstract
We present results from numerical modeling of emerging flux regions on the solar surface. The modeling was carried out by means of 3D radiative MHD simulations of the rise of buoyant magnetic flux tubes through the convection zone and into the photosphere. Due to the strong stratification of the convection zone, the rise results in a lateral expansion of the tube into a magnetic sheet, which acts as a reservoir for small-scale flux emergence events at the scale of granulation. The interaction of the convective downflows and the rising magnetic flux undulates it to form serpentine field lines emerging into the photosphere. Observational characteristics including the pattern of emerging flux regions, the cancellation of surface flux and associated high speed downflows, the convective collapse of photospheric flux tubes, the appearance of anomalous darkenings, the formation of bright points and the possible existence of transient kilogauss horizontal fields are discussed in the context of new observations from the Hinode Solar Optical Telescope. Implications for the local helioseismology of emerging flux regions are also discussed.
References in corpus (13)
- The Solar Optical Telescope for the Hinode Mission: An Overview
- A solar surface dynamo
- Emergence of Small-Scale Magnetic Loops in the Quiet Sun Internetwork
- Quiet Sun internetwork magnetic fields from the inversion of Hinode measurements
- Magnetic flux emergence in granular convection: Radiative MHD simulations and observational signatures
- Twisted flux tube emergence from the convection zone to the corona
- Strong horizontal photospheric magnetic field in a surface dynamo simulation
- Seething Horizontal Magnetic Fields in the Quiet Solar Photosphere
- Transient horizontal magnetic fields in solar plage regions
- The origin of the reversed granulation in the solar photosphere
- Stokes diagnostics of simulated solar magneto-convection
- Frequent Occurrence of High-speed Local Mass Downflows on the Solar Surface
- Magnetic field emergence in quiet Sun granules