Abstract
Recent spectro-polarimetric observations of a sunspot showed the formation of bipolar magnetic patches in the mid-penumbra and their propagation toward the outer penumbral boundary. The observations were interpreted as being caused by sea-serpent magnetic fields near the solar surface. In this Letter, we develop a three-dimensional radiative MHD numerical model to explain the sea-serpent structure and the wave-like behavior of the penumbral magnetic field lines. The simulations reproduce the observed behavior, suggesting that the sea-serpent phenomenon is a consequence of magnetoconvection in a strongly inclined magnetic field. It involves several physical processes: filamentary structurization, high-speed overturning convective motions in strong, almost horizontal magnetic fields with partially frozen field lines, and traveling convective waves. The results demonstrate a correlation of the bipolar magnetic patches with high-speed Evershed downflows in the penumbra. This is the first time that a three-dimensional numerical model of the penumbra results in downward-directed magnetic fields, an essential ingredient of sunspot penumbrae that has eluded explanation until now.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | L181-L184 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal Letters |
Volume | 716 |
Issue number | 2 PART 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science
Keywords
- Sun: magnetic topology
- sunspots