Non-linear numerical simulations of magneto-acoustic wave propagation in small-scale flux tubes

TL;DR

This paper presents 2D non-linear simulations of magneto-acoustic wave propagation in small-scale solar flux tubes, revealing mode transformations, shock formations, and energy transfer mechanisms in the solar atmosphere.

Contribution

It introduces a novel simulation approach with minimized boundary reflections, enabling detailed analysis of wave mode transformations and shock dynamics in small-scale flux tubes.

Findings

Horizontal motions generate slow magnetic and surface modes.

Slow acoustic mode propagates vertically, forming shocks.

Wave behavior varies with driver frequency and height.

Abstract

We present results of non-linear, 2D, numerical simulations of magneto-acoustic wave propagation in the photosphere and chromosphere of small-scale flux tubes with internal structure. Waves with realistic periods of three to five minutes are studied, after applying horizontal and vertical oscillatory perturbations to the equilibrium model. Spurious reflections of shock waves from the upper boundary are minimized thanks to a special boundary condition. This has allowed us to increase the duration of the simulations and to make it long enough to perform a statistical analysis of oscillations. The simulations show that deep horizontal motions of the flux tube generate a slow (magnetic) mode and a surface mode. These modes are efficiently transformed into a slow (acoustic) mode in the vA < cS atmosphere. The slow (acoustic) mode propagates vertically along the field lines, forms shocks and remains always within the flux tube. It might deposit effectively the energy of the driver into the chromosphere. When the driver oscillates with a high frequency, above the cut-off, non-linear wave propagation occurs with the same dominant driver period at all heights. At low frequencies, below the cut-off, the dominant period of oscillations changes with height from that of the driver in the photosphere to its first harmonic (half period) in the chromosphere. Depending on the period and on the type of the driver, different shock patterns are observed.