Evolution of Near-surface Flows Inferred from High-resolution Ring-diagram Analysis

TL;DR

This paper uses high-resolution ring-diagram helioseismology to analyze near-surface solar flows, characterizing systematic effects and mapping flow anomalies related to solar activity patterns.

Contribution

It advances understanding of near-surface solar flows by characterizing systematic effects at high spatial resolution and mapping flow anomalies associated with solar activity.

Findings

Identification of flow anomalies linked to torsional oscillations

Characterization of systematic effects in high-resolution flow measurements

Mapping of temporal and latitudinal flow variations

Abstract

Ring-diagram analysis of acoustic waves observed at the photosphere can provide a relatively robust determination of the sub-surface flows at a particular time under a particular region. The depth of penetration of the waves is related to the size of the region, hence the depth extent of the measured flows is inversely proportional to the spatial resolution. Most ring-diagram analysis has focused on regions of extent ~15{\deg} (180 Mm) or more in order to provide reasonable mode sets for inversions. HMI data analysis also provides a set of ring fit parameters on a scale three times smaller. These provide flow estimates for the outer 1% (7 Mm) of the Sun only, with very limited depth resolution, but with spatial resolution adequate to map structures potentially associated with the belts and regions of magnetic activity. There are a number of systematic effects affecting the determination of flows from local helioseismic analysis of regions over different parts of the observable disk, not all well understood. In this study we characterize those systematic effects with higher spatial resolution, so that they may more effectively be accounted for in mapping temporal and spatial evolution of the flows. Leaving open the question of the mean structure of the global meridional circulation and the differential rotation, we describe the near-surface flow anomalies in time and latitude corresponding to the torsional oscillation pattern in differential rotation and analogous patterns in the meridional cell structure as observed by SDO/HMI.