Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jun 2000
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000apj...536..982w&link_type=abstract
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 536, Issue 2, pp. 982-997.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
14
Magnetohydrodynamics: Mhd, Sun: Magnetic Fields, Sun: Rotation, Sun: Sunspots
Scientific paper
Most new magnetic flux arrives at the surface of the Sun through the emergence of bipolar regions. These regions, which are often associated with a pair of sunspots, are generally thought to correspond to Ω-shaped flux tubes breaking through the solar surface. It seems likely that these flux tubes originate in the convective overshoot layer below the convection zone; an outstanding problem for theorists, therefore, is to account for this rise. Here we present results of a large number of two- and three-dimensional numerical simulations of buoyant magnetic flux tubes. Untwisted magnetic flux tubes are severely deformed as a consequence of the formation of regions of strong vorticity within the tube. Interactions between tubes can lead to trapping of coherent regions of field. For tubes constrained to rise in a two-dimensional manner (no variation along the tube) this deformation and loss of identity of the tube can be reduced if the magnetic field of the tube is twisted. However, in three dimensions, strongly twisted tubes may, depending on the precise form of the twist, be susceptible to the kink instability. We have also considered the influence of background rotation on the rise and breakup of magnetic flux tubes-restricting attention to untwisted tubes. The vertical component of rotation inhibits the breakup of flux tubes and the horizontal component decreases the rate at which tubes rise. With an oblique rotation vector the reflectional symmetry of the tube is broken and, although the tube initially breaks up, after some time the rotation causes the fragments to cluster together.
Hughes David W. W.
Matthews Paul C.
Proctor Michael R. E.
Wissink J. G.
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