Quasi full-disk maps of solar horizontal velocities using SDO/HMI data

TL;DR

This paper presents the first full-disk maps of solar horizontal velocities derived from SDO/HMI data, revealing detailed flow patterns and dynamics on the Sun's surface with high spatial and temporal resolution.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method for tracking granule motions across the entire Sun using an improved coherent structure tracking algorithm and multi-resolution analysis.

Findings

High correlation (85%) with Hinode velocity measurements.

Power spectrum of supergranulation velocities derived.

Detailed maps of differential rotation and meridional flow obtained.

Abstract

For the first time, the motion of granules (solar plasma on the surface on scales larger than 2.5 Mm) has been followed over the entire visible surface of the Sun, using SDO/HMI white-light data. Horizontal velocity fields are derived from image correlation tracking using a new version of the coherent structure tracking algorithm.The spatial and temporal resolutions of the horizontal velocity map are 2.5 Mm and 30 min respectively . From this reconstruction, using the multi-resolution analysis, one can obtain to the velocity field at different scales with its derivatives such as the horizontal divergence or the vertical component of the vorticity. The intrinsic error on the velocity is ~0.25 km/s for a time sequence of 30 minutes and a mesh size of 2.5 Mm.This is acceptable compared to the granule velocities, which range between 0.3 km/s and 1.8 km/s. A high correlation between velocities computed from Hinode and SDO/HMI has been found (85%). From the data we derive the power spectrum of the supergranulation horizontal velocity field, the solar differential rotation, and the meridional velocity.