Vortex Flow Properties in Simulations of Solar Plage Region: Evidence for their role in chromospheric heating

TL;DR

This study uses 3D radiative MHD simulations to analyze small-scale vortices in solar plage regions, revealing their role in chromospheric heating through the formation of current sheets and their higher density and temperature.

Contribution

The paper provides the first detailed simulation-based analysis of small-scale vortices in solar plage regions and their potential contribution to chromospheric heating.

Findings

Vortices are ubiquitous in solar plage regions.

Vortices are denser and hotter than surrounding plasma.

Current sheets at vortex interfaces may dissipate energy, heating the chromosphere.

Abstract

Vortex-flows exist across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales in the solar atmosphere. Small-scale vortices have been proposed to play an important role in energy transport in the solar atmosphere. However, their physical properties remain poorly understood due to the limited spatial resolution of the observations. We aim to explore and analyze the physical properties of small-scale vortices inside magnetic flux tubes using numerical simulations, and to investigate whether they contribute to heating the chromosphere in a plage region. Using the three-dimensional (3D) radiative magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation code 'MURaM', we perform numerical simulations of a unipolar solar plage region. To detect and isolate vortices, we use the Swirling Strength criterion and select the locations where the fluid is rotating with an angular velocity greater than a certain threshold. We concentrate on small-scale as they are the strongest and carry most of the energy. We explore the spatial profiles of physical quantities viz. density, horizontal velocity, etc. inside these vortices. Moreover, to apprehend their general characteristics, a statistical investigation is performed. Magnetic flux tubes have a complex filamentary substructure harbouring an abundance of small-scale vortices. At the interfaces between vortices strong current sheets are formed that may dissipate and heat the solar chromosphere. Statistically, vortices have higher densities and higher temperatures than the average values at the same geometrical height in the chromosphere. We conclude that small-scale vortices are ubiquitous in solar plage regions, and they are denser and hotter structures that contribute to chromospheric heating, possibly by dissipation of the current sheets formed at their interfaces.