3D Simulations of Magnetohydrodynamic Waves in the Magnetized Solar Atmosphere

TL;DR

This paper uses 3D MHD simulations to analyze how different photospheric motions generate waves in solar magnetic flux tubes, affecting energy transport and chromospheric emissions.

Contribution

It compares wave generation by granular buffeting and vortex motions, revealing their distinct impacts on wave strength and energy flux in the solar atmosphere.

Findings

Granular buffeting produces stronger magnetoacoustic waves.

Wave energy flux varies with the type of photospheric motion.

Waves influence chromospheric emission intensities.

Abstract

We present results of three-dimensional numerical simulations of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave propagation in a solar magnetic flux tube. Our study aims at understanding the properties of a range of MHD wave modes generated by different photospheric motions. We consider two scenarios observed in the lower solar photosphere, namely, granular buffeting and vortex-like motion, among the simplest mechanism for the generation of waves within a strong, localized magnetic flux concentration. We show that granular buffeting is likely to generate stronger slow and fast magnetoacoustic waves as compared to swirly motions. Correspondingly, the energy flux transported differs as a result of the driving motions. We also demonstrate that the waves generated by granular buffeting are likely to manifest in stronger emission in the chromospheric network. We argue that different mechanisms of wave generation are active during the evolution of a magnetic element in the intergranular lane, resulting in temporally varying emission at chromospheric heights.