63 research outputs found
Buoyant magnetic flux ropes in a magnetized stellar envelope: Idealized numerical 2.5-D MHD simulations
Context: The context of this paper is buoyant toroidal magnetic flux ropes,
which is a part of flux tube dynamo theory and the framework of solar-like
magnetic activity. Aims: The aim is to investigate how twisted magnetic flux
ropes interact with a simple magnetized stellar model envelope--a magnetic
"convection zone"--especially to examine how the twisted magnetic field
component of a flux rope interacts with a poloidal magnetic field in the
convection zone. Method: Both the flux ropes and the atmosphere are modelled as
idealized 2.5-dimensional concepts using high resolution numerical
magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. Results: It is illustrated that twisted
toroidal magnetic flux ropes can interact with a poloidal magnetic field in the
atmosphere to cause a change in both the buoyant rise dynamics and the flux
rope's geometrical shape. The details of these changes depend primarily on the
polarity and strength of the atmospheric field relative to the field strength
of the flux rope. It is suggested that the effects could be verified
observationally.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures (9 files), accepted by A&
Flux-loss of buoyant ropes interacting with convective flows
We present 3-d numerical magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of a buoyant,
twisted magnetic flux rope embedded in a stratified, solar-like model
convection zone. The flux rope is given an initial twist such that it neither
kinks nor fragments during its ascent. Moreover, its magnetic energy content
with respect to convection is chosen so that the flux rope retains its basic
geometry while being deflected from a purely vertical ascent by convective
flows. The simulations show that magnetic flux is advected away from the core
of the flux rope as it interacts with the convection. The results thus support
the idea that the amount of toroidal flux stored at or near the bottom of the
solar convection zone may currently be underestimated.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
An Ab Initio Approach to the Solar Coronal Heating Problem
We present an ab initio approach to the solar coronal heating problem by
modelling a small part of the solar corona in a computational box using a 3D
MHD code including realistic physics. The observed solar granular velocity
pattern and its amplitude and vorticity power spectra, as reproduced by a
weighted Voronoi tessellation method, are used as a boundary condition that
generates a Poynting flux in the presence of a magnetic field. The initial
magnetic field is a potential extrapolation of a SOHO/MDI high resolution
magnetogram, and a standard stratified atmosphere is used as a thermal initial
condition. Except for the chromospheric temperature structure, which is kept
fixed, the initial conditions are quickly forgotten because the included
Spitzer conductivity and radiative cooling function have typical timescales
much shorter than the time span of the simulation. After a short initial start
up period, the magnetic field is able to dissipate 3-4 10^6 ergs cm^{-2} s^{-1}
in a highly intermittent corona, maintaining an average temperature of K, at coronal density values for which emulated images of the Transition
Region And Coronal Explorer(TRACE) 171 and 195 pass bands reproduce observed
photon count rates.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures. Submitted to Ap
On the Saturation of Astrophysical Dynamos: Numerical Experiments with the No-cosines flow
In the context of astrophysical dynamos we illustrate that the no-cosines
flow, with zero mean helicity, can drive fast dynamo action and study the
dynamo's mode of operation during both the linear and non-linear saturation
regime: It turns out that in addition to a high growth rate in the linear
regime, the dynamo saturates at a level significantly higher than normal
turbulent dynamos, namely at exact equipartition when the magnetic Prandtl
number is on the order of unity. Visualization of the magnetic and velocity
fields at saturation will help us to understand some of the aspects of the
non-linear dynamo problem.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, submitted to the proceedings of "Space Climate 1"
to be peer-reviewed to Solar Physic
Twisted flux tube emergence from the convection zone to the corona
3D numerical simulations of a horizontal magnetic flux tube emergence with
different twist are carried out in a computational domain spanning the upper
layers of the convection zone to the lower corona. We use the Oslo Staggered
Code to solve the full MHD equations with non-grey and non-LTE radiative
transfer and thermal conduction along the magnetic field lines. The emergence
of the magnetic flux tube input at the bottom boundary into a weakly magnetized
atmosphere is presented. The photospheric and chromospheric response is
described with magnetograms, synthetic images and velocity field distributions.
The emergence of a magnetic flux tube into such an atmosphere results in varied
atmospheric responses. In the photosphere the granular size increases when the
flux tube approaches from below. In the convective overshoot region some 200km
above the photosphere adiabatic expansion produces cooling, darker regions with
the structure of granulation cells. We also find collapsed granulation in the
boundaries of the rising flux tube. Once the flux tube has crossed the
photosphere, bright points related with concentrated magnetic field, vorticity,
high vertical velocities and heating by compressed material are found at
heights up to 500km above the photosphere. At greater heights in the magnetized
chromosphere, the rising flux tube produces a cool, magnetized bubble that
tends to expel the usual chromospheric oscillations. In addition the rising
flux tube dramatically increases the chromospheric scale height, pushing the
transition region and corona aside such that the chromosphere extends up to 6Mm
above the photosphere. The emergence of magnetic flux tubes through the
photosphere to the lower corona is a relatively slow process, taking of order 1
hour.Comment: 53 pages,79 figures, Submitted to Ap
On the Structure of the Magnetic Field in a Kinematic ABC Flow Dynamo
The kinematic induction equation of MHD is solved numerically in the case of
the normal ``111'' ABC flow using a general staggered mesh method. Careful 3-D
visualizations of the topology of the magnetic field reveal that previous
conclusions about the modes of operation of this type of kinematic dynamo must
be revised. The two known windows of dynamo action at low and high magnetic
Reynolds number, correspond to two distinct modes, both relying crucially on
the replenishing of the magnetic field near a discontinuity at the beta-type
stagnation points in the flow. One of these modes display double magnetic
structures that were previously found only to obscure the physics of the
dynamo: They turn out, however, to play an important part in the process of
amplifying the magnetic field. Invariant properties of the mode in the second
magnetic Reynolds number window support the case for the normal ABC flow as a
fast dynamo.Comment: Associated webpage, see http://www.astro.su.se/~dorch/dynamo
- âŠ