Numerical simulations of sunspot decay: On the penumbra -- Evershed flow -- moat flow connection

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution simulations to explore sunspot decay, penumbra dynamics, and associated flows, revealing how magnetic flux stability relates to downflow suppression and large-scale flow systems.

Contribution

It introduces detailed sunspot and naked-spot simulations showing the impact of penumbra presence on decay rates and flow patterns, advancing understanding of sunspot stability mechanisms.

Findings

Sunspots with penumbra maintain magnetic flux over days.

Naked spots decay steadily at about 10^21 Mx/day.

Moat flows are linked to large-scale overturning flow systems.

Abstract

We present a series of high-resolution sunspot simulations that cover a time span of up to 100 hours. The simulation domain extends about 18 Mm in depth beneath the photosphere and 98 Mm horizontally. We use open boundary conditions that do not maintain the initial field structure against decay driven by convective motions. We consider two setups: A sunspot simulation with penumbra, and a "naked-spot" simulation in which we removed the penumbra after 20 hours through a change in the magnetic top boundary condition. While the sunspot has an Evershed outflow of 3-4 km/s, the naked spot is surrounded by an inflow of 1-2 km/s in close proximity. However, both spots are surrounded by an outflow on larger scales with a few 100 m/s flow speed in the photosphere. While the sunspot has almost constant magnetic flux content for the simulated time span of 3-4 days, the naked spot decays steadily at a rate of $10^{21}$ Mx/day. A region with reduced downflow filling factor, which is more extended for the sunspot, surrounds both spots. The absence of downflows perturbs the upflow/downflow massflux balance and leads to a large-scale radially overturning flow system, the photospheric component of this flow is to the observable moat flow. The reduction of the downflow filling factor also inhibits submergence of magnetic field in the proximity of the spots, which stabilizes them against decay. While this effect is present for both spots, it is more pronounced for the sunspot and explains the almost stationary magnetic flux content.