Recent Evidence for Convection in Sunspot Penumbrae

Abstract

Whereas penumbral models during the last 15 years have been successful in explaining Evershed flows and magnetic field inclination variations in terms of flux tubes, the lack of contact between these models and a convective process needed to explain the penumbral radiative heat flux has been disturbing. We report on recent observational and theoretical evidence that challenge flux tube interpretations and conclude that the origin of penumbral filamentary structure is overturning convection.

Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews

References in corpus (5)

• Fine structure, magnetic field and heating of sunspot penumbrae
• MHD simulations of penumbra fine structure
• Magnetostatic penumbra models with field-free gaps
• Convection and the origin of Evershed flows in sunspot penumbrae
• Evidence of convective rolls in a sunspot penumbra

Cited by in corpus (6)

• A geometrical height scale for sunspot penumbrae
• Deep probing of the photospheric sunspot penumbra: no evidence for magnetic field-free gaps
• Striation and convection in penumbral filaments
• Evidence for convection in Sunspot penumbrae
• Convective motions and net circular polarization in sunspot penumbrae
• The Evershed Flow and the Brightness of the Penumbra