Latitudinal propagation of thermal Rossby waves in stellar convection zones

Using an analytic model, we derive the eigenfrequencies for thermal Rossby waves that are trapped radially and latitudinally in an isentropically stratified atmosphere. We ignore the star's curvature and work in an equatorial f-plane geometry. The propagation of inertial waves is found to be sensitive to the relative direction of the wavevector to the zonal direction. Prograde propagating thermal Rossby waves are naturally trapped in the radial direction for frequencies above a critical threshold, which depends on the angle of propagation. Below the threshold frequency, there exists a continuous spectrum of prograde and retrograde inertial waves that are untrapped in an isentropic atmosphere but can be trapped by gradients in the specific entropy density. Finally, we discuss the implications of these waves on recent observations of inertial oscillations in the Sun, as well as in numerical simulations

Energy loss of solar p modes due to the excitation of magnetic sausage tube waves: importance of coupling the upper atmosphere

We consider damping and absorption of solar p modes due to their energy loss to magnetic tube waves that can freely carry energy out of the acoustic cavity. The coupling of p modes and sausage tube waves is studied in a model atmosphere composed of a polytropic interior above which lies an isothermal upper atmosphere. The sausage tube waves, excited by p modes, propagate along a magnetic fibril which is assumed to be a vertically aligned, stratified, thin magnetic flux tube. The deficit of p-mode energy is quantified through the damping rate, Γ, and absorption coefficient, α. The variation of Γ and α as a function of frequency and the tube's plasma properties is studied in detail. Previous similar studies have considered only a subphotospheric layer, modeled as a polytrope that has been truncated at the photosphere. Such studies have found that the resulting energy loss by the p modes is very sensitive to the upper boundary condition, which, due to the lack of an upper atmosphere, have been imposed in a somewhat ad hoc manner. The model presented here avoids such problems by using an isothermal layer to model the overlying atmosphere (chromosphere, and, consequently, allows us to analyze the propagation of p-mode-driven sausage waves above the photosphere. In this paper, we restrict our attention to frequencies below the acoustic cut off frequency. We demonstrate the importance of coupling all waves (acoustic, magnetic) in the subsurface solar atmosphere with the overlying atmosphere in order to accurately model the interaction of solar f and p modes with sausage tube waves. In calculating the absorption and damping of p modes, we find that for low frequencies, below ≈3.5 mHz, the isothermal atmosphere, for the two-region model, behaves like a stress-free boundary condition applied at the interface (z = –z 0)

Time-dependent suppression of oscillatory power in evolving solar magnetic fields

Oscillation amplitudes are generally smaller within magnetically active regions like sunspots and plage when compared to their surroundings. Such magnetic features, when viewed in spatially resolved power maps, appear as regions of suppressed power due to reductions in the oscillation amplitudes. Employing high spatial- and temporal-resolution observations from the Dunn Solar Telescope (DST) in New Mexico, we study the power suppression in a region of evolving magnetic fields adjacent to a pore. By utilizing wavelet analysis, we study for the first time how the oscillatory properties in this region change as the magnetic field evolves with time. Image sequences taken in the blue continuum, G-band, Ca ii K, and Hα filters were used in this study. It is observed that the suppression found in the chromosphere occupies a relatively larger area, confirming previous findings. Also, the suppression is extended to structures directly connected to the magnetic region, and is found to get enhanced as the magnetic field strength increased with time. The dependence of the suppression on the magnetic field strength is greater at longer periods and higher formation heights. Furthermore, the dominant periodicity in the chromosphere was found to be anti-correlated with increases in the magnetic field strength

Detection of Cold Atomic Clouds in the Magellanic Bridge

We report a detection of cold atomic hydrogen in the Magellanic Bridge using 21-cm absorption spectroscopy toward the radio source B0312-770. With a column density of N_HI=1.2E20 cm^-2, a maximum absorption optical depth of tau=0.10 and a maximum 21-cm emission brightness temperature of 1.4 K, this line of sight yields a spin temperature, T_s, between 20 K and 40 K. H I 21-cm absorption and emission spectroscopy toward 7 other low column density sightlines on the periphery of the LMC and SMC reveal absorption toward one additional background radio source behind the SMC with tau=0.03. The data have typical sensitivities of sigma_tau=0.005 to 0.070 in absorption and sigma_{T_B}=0.03 K in emission. These data demonstrate the presence of a cold atomic phase which is probably accompanied by molecular condensations in the tenuous interstellar medium of the Bridge region. Young OB stars observed in the Magellanic Bridge could form "in situ" from these cold condensations rather than migrate from regions of active star formation in the main body of the SMC. The existence of cold condensations and star formation in the Magellanic Bridge might be understood as a small scale version of the mechanism that produces star formation in the tidal tails of interacting galaxies.Comment: 25 pages, uses AASTeX and psfig; Accepted for Publication in the Astronomical Journa

A Novel Approach to Resonant Absorption of the Fast MHD Eigenmodes of a Coronal Arcade

The arched eld lines forming coronal arcades are often observed to undulate as magne- tohydrodynamic (MHD) waves propagate both across and along the magnetic eld. These waves are most likely a combination of resonantly coupled fast magnetoacoustic waves and Alfv\' en waves. The coupling results in resonant absorption of the fast waves, converting fast wave energy into Alfv\' en waves. The fast eigenmodes of the arcade have proven difficult to compute or derive analytically, largely because of the mathematical complexity that the coupling introduces. When a traditional spectral decomposition is employed, the discrete spectrum associated with the fast eigenmodes is often subsumed into the continuous Alfv \'en spectrum. Thus fast eigenmodes, become collective modes or quasi-modes. Here we present a spectral decomposition that treats the eigenmodes as having real frequencies but complex wavenumbers. Using this procedure we derive dispersion relations, spatial damping rates, and eigenfunctions for the resonant, fast eigenmodes of the arcade. We demonstrate that resonant absorption introduces a fast mode that would not exist otherwise. This new mode is heavily damped by resonant absorption, only travelling a few wavelengths before losing most of its energy

Acoustic Power Absorption and its Relation with Vector Magnetic Field of a Sunspot

The distribution of acoustic power over sunspots shows an enhanced absorption near the umbra--penumbra boundary. Earlier studies revealed that the region of enhanced absorption coincides with the region of strongest transverse potential field. The aim of this paper is to (i) utilize the high-resolution vector magnetograms derived using Hinode SOT/SP observations and study the relationship between the vector magnetic field and power absorption and (ii) study the variation of power absorption in sunspot penumbrae due to the presence of spine-like radial structures. It is found that (i) both potential and observed transverse fields peak at a similar radial distance from the center of the sunspot, and (ii) the magnitude of the transverse field, derived from Hinode observations, is much larger than the potential transverse field derived from SOHO/MDI longitudinal field observations. In the penumbra, the radial structures called spines (intra-spines) have stronger (weaker) field strength and are more vertical (horizontal). The absorption of acoustic power in the spine and intra-spine shows different behaviour with the absorption being larger in the spine as compared to the intra-spine.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, In Press Solar Physics, Topical Issue on Helio-and-Astroseismolog

A nilpotent IP polynomial multiple recurrence theorem

We generalize the IP-polynomial Szemer\'edi theorem due to Bergelson and McCutcheon and the nilpotent Szemer\'edi theorem due to Leibman. Important tools in our proof include a generalization of Leibman's result that polynomial mappings into a nilpotent group form a group and a multiparameter version of the nilpotent Hales-Jewett theorem due to Bergelson and Leibman.Comment: v4: switch to TeXlive 2016 and biblate

Fundamental-mode Oscillations of Two Coronal Loops within a Solar Magnetic Arcade

We analyze intensity variations, as measured by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly in the 171 Å passband, in two coronal loops embedded within a single coronal magnetic arcade. We detect oscillations in the fundamental mode with periods of roughly 2 minutes and decay times of 5 minutes. The oscillations were initiated by interaction of the arcade with a large wavefront issuing from a flare site. Further, the power spectra of the oscillations evince signatures consistent with oblique propagation to the field lines and for the existence of a two-dimensional waveguide instead of a one-dimensional one

Herbig Ae/Be Stars in the Magellanic Bridge

We have found Herbig Ae/Be star candidates in the western region of the Magellanic Bridge. Using the near infrared camera SIRIUS and the 1.4 m telescope IRSF, we surveyed about 3.0 deg x 1.3 deg (24 deg < RA < 36 deg, -75 deg < Dec. < -73.7 deg) in the J, H, and Ks bands. On the basis of colors and magnitudes, about 200 Herbig Ae/Be star candidates are selected. Considering the contaminations by miscellaneous sources such as foreground stars and early-type dwarfs in the Magellanic Bridge, we estimate that about 80 (about 40%) of the candidates are likely to be Herbig Ae/Be stars. We also found one concentration of the candidates at the young star cluster NGC 796, strongly suggesting the existence of pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars in the Magellanic Bridge. This is the first detection of PMS star candidates in the Magellanic Bridge, and if they are genuine PMS stars, this could be direct evidence of recent star formation. However, the estimate of the number of Herbig Ae/Be stars depends on the fraction of classical Be stars, and thus a more precise determination of the Be star fraction or observations to differentiate between the Herbig Ae/Be stars and classical Be stars are required.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Superbubble evolution including the star-forming clouds: Is it possible to reconcile LMC observations with model predictions?

Here we present a possible solution to the apparent discrepancy between the observed properties of LMC bubbles and the standard, constant density bubble model. A two-dimensional model of a wind-driven bubble expanding from a flattened giant molecular cloud is examined. We conclude that the expansion velocities derived from spherically symmetric models are not always applicable to elongated young bubbles seen almost face-on due to the LMC orientation. In addition, an observational test to differentiate between spherical and elongated bubbles seen face-on is discussed.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, accepted to ApJ (September, 1999 issue