Acoustic emission from magnetic flux tubes in the solar network

TL;DR

This study uses 3D simulations to explore how footpoint motions in solar magnetic flux tubes excite waves that could contribute to heating the Sun's atmosphere, revealing the wave dynamics and energy transfer mechanisms involved.

Contribution

It provides new insights into wave excitation and energy flux in solar flux tubes due to realistic footpoint motions, advancing understanding of solar atmospheric heating processes.

Findings

Footpoint motions generate multiple MHD wave modes within flux tubes.

Acoustic energy flux varies with boundary layer parameters.

Flux tubes effectively channel waves impacting chromospheric and coronal heating.

Abstract

We present the results of three-dimensional numerical simulations to investigate the excitation of waves in the magnetic network of the Sun due to footpoint motions of a magnetic flux tube. We consider motions that typically mimic granular buffeting and vortex flows and implement them as driving motions at the base of the flux tube. The driving motions generates various MHD modes within the flux tube and acoustic waves in the ambient medium. The response of the upper atmosphere to the underlying photospheric motion and the role of the flux tube in channeling the waves is investigated. We compute the acoustic energy flux in the various wave modes across different boundary layers defined by the plasma and magnetic field parameters and examine the observational implications for chromospheric and coronal heating.