The stability of sunspots

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

101

Energy Methods, Magnetic Flux, Magnetohydrodynamic Stability, Solar Magnetic Field, Sunspots, Magnetic Field Configurations, Mathematical Models, Stellar Models

Scientific paper

The energy principle of Bernstein et al. (1958) is used to demonstrate that a magnetic flux tube in equilibrium with an external stratified field-free gas is stable to interchanges, provided the magnitude of the radial field component decreases upward on the tube boundary. Stability conditions on the external pressure in the case where a vacuum field is inside the flux tube are investigated, and it is found that both stable and unstable vacuum-field configurations can exist. A vacuum-field model is employed to show that tubes with fluxes greater than about 10 to the 19th power Mx are stable in the sun, and this result is applied to observations of small-scale solar magnetic fields as well as to sunspot groups. Analysis of a simple sunspot model indicates that a sunspot can be stable in and immediately below the photosphere, that this stability is related to the potential energy associated with the Wilson depression, and that twisted fields need not be invoked.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

The stability of sunspots does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with The stability of sunspots, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The stability of sunspots will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1596590

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.