New approach for analysing dynamical processes on the surface of photospheric vortex tubes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel methodology to analyze the boundary surfaces of photospheric vortex tubes using 3D numerical data and advanced vorticity techniques, revealing localized plasma behaviors and energy transfer characteristics.

Contribution

It develops a new approach to study vortex surface dynamics in 3D, overcoming limitations of previous 2D analyses, and provides detailed insights into plasma forces and energy fluxes.

Findings

Localized temperature variations at vortex surfaces.

Horizontal energy flux dominates Poynting flux.

Vortices are not rigidly rotating structures.

Abstract

The majority of studies on multi-scale vortex motions employ a two-dimensional geometry by using a variety of observational and numerical data. This approach limits the understanding the nature of physical processes responsible for vortex dynamics. Here we develop a new methodology to extract essential information from the boundary surface of vortex tubes. 3D high-resolution magnetoconvection MURaM numerical data has been used to analyse photospheric intergranular velocity vortices. The Lagrangian Averaged Vorticity Deviation (LAVD) technique was applied to define the centers of vortex structures and their boundary surfaces based on the advection of fluid elements. These surfaces were mapped onto a constructed envelope grid that allows the study of the key plasma parameters as functions of space and time. Quantities that help in understanding the dynamics of the plasma, e.g. Lorentz force, pressure force, plasma-$\beta$ were also determined. Our results suggest that, while density and pressure have a rather global behaviour, the other physical quantities undergo local changes, with their magnitude and orientation changing in space and time. At the surface, the mixing in the horizontal direction is not efficient, leading to appearance of localized regions with higher/colder temperatures. In addition, the analysis of the MHD Poynting flux confirms that the majority of the energy is directed in the horizontal direction. Our findings also indicate that the pressure and magnetic forces that drive the dynamics of the plasma on vortex surfaces are unbalanced and therefore the vortices do not rotate as a rigid body.