28 research outputs found
Hydrodynamic simulations of shell convection in stellar cores
Shell convection driven by nuclear burning in a stellar core is a common
hydrodynamic event in the evolution of many types of stars. We encounter and
simulate this convection (i) in the helium core of a low-mass red giant during
core helium flash leading to a dredge-down of protons across an entropy
barrier, (ii) in a carbon-oxygen core of an intermediate-mass star during core
carbon flash, and (iii) in the oxygen and carbon burning shell above the
silicon-sulfur rich core of a massive star prior to supernova explosion. Our
results, which were obtained with the hydrodynamics code HERAKLES, suggest that
both entropy gradients and entropy barriers are less important for stellar
structure than commonly assumed. Our simulations further reveal a new dynamic
mixing process operating below the base of shell convection zones.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures .. submitted to a proceedings of conference about
"Red Giants as Probes of the Structure and Evolution of the Milky Way" which
has taken place between 15-17 November 2010 in Rom
Downward pumping of magnetic flux as the cause of filamentary structures in sunspot penumbrae
The structure of a sunspot is determined by the local interaction between magnetic fields and convection near the Sun's surface. The dark central umbra is surrounded by a filamentary penumbra, whose complicated fine structure has only recently been revealed by high-resolution observations. The penumbral magnetic field has an intricate and unexpected interlocking-comb structure and some field lines, with associated outflows of gas, dive back down below the solar surface at the outer edge of the spot. These field lines might be expected to float quickly back to the surface because of magnetic buoyancy, but they remain submerged. Here we show that the field lines are kept submerged outside the spot by turbulent, compressible convection, which is dominated by strong, coherent, descending plumes. Moreover, this downward pumping of magnetic flux explains the origin of the interlocking-comb structure of the penumbral magnetic field, and the behaviour of other magnetic features near the sunspot
The Evershed Effect with SOT/Hinode
The Solar Optical Telescope onboard Hinode revealed the fine-scale structure
of the Evershed flow and its relation to the filamentary structures of the
sunspot penumbra. The Evershed flow is confined in narrow channels with nearly
horizontal magnetic fields, embedded in a deep layer of the penumbral
atmosphere. It is a dynamic phenomenon with flow velocity close to the
photospheric sound speed. Individual flow channels are associated with tiny
upflows of hot gas (sources) at the inner end and downflows (sinks) at the
outer end. SOT/Hinode also discovered ``twisting'' motions of penumbral
filaments, which may be attributed to the convective nature of the Evershed
flow. The Evershed effect may be understood as a natural consequence of thermal
convection under a strong, inclined magnetic field. Current penumbral models
are discussed in the lights of these new Hinode observations.Comment: To appear in "Magnetic Coupling between the Interior and the
Atmosphere of the Sun", eds. S.S. Hasan and R.J. Rutten, Astrophysics and
Space Science Proceedings, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Berlin, 200
Theoretical Models of Sunspot Structure and Dynamics
Recent progress in theoretical modeling of a sunspot is reviewed. The
observed properties of umbral dots are well reproduced by realistic simulations
of magnetoconvection in a vertical, monolithic magnetic field. To understand
the penumbra, it is useful to distinguish between the inner penumbra, dominated
by bright filaments containing slender dark cores, and the outer penumbra, made
up of dark and bright filaments of comparable width with corresponding magnetic
fields differing in inclination by some 30 degrees and strong Evershed flows in
the dark filaments along nearly horizontal or downward-plunging magnetic
fields. The role of magnetic flux pumping in submerging magnetic flux in the
outer penumbra is examined through numerical experiments, and different
geometric models of the penumbral magnetic field are discussed in the light of
high-resolution observations. Recent, realistic numerical MHD simulations of an
entire sunspot have succeeded in reproducing the salient features of the
convective pattern in the umbra and the inner penumbra. The siphon-flow
mechanism still provides the best explanation of the Evershed flow,
particularly in the outer penumbra where it often consists of cool, supersonic
downflows.Comment: To appear in "Magnetic Coupling between the Interior and the
Atmosphere of the Sun", eds. S.S. Hasan and R.J. Rutten, Astrophysics and
Space Science Proceedings, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Berlin, 200
Convection and the Origin of Evershed Flows
Numerical simulations have by now revealed that the fine scale structure of
the penumbra in general and the Evershed effect in particular is due to
overturning convection, mainly confined to gaps with strongly reduced magnetic
field strength. The Evershed flow is the radial component of the overturning
convective flow visible at the surface. It is directed outwards -- away from
the umbra -- because of the broken symmetry due to the inclined magnetic field.
The dark penumbral filament cores visible at high resolution are caused by the
'cusps' in the magnetic field that form above the gaps. Still remaining to be
established are the details of what determines the average luminosity of
penumbrae, the widths, lengths, and filling factors of penumbral filaments, and
the amplitudes and filling factors of the Evershed flow. These are likely to
depend at least partially also on numerical aspects such as limited resolution
and model size, but mainly on physical properties that have not yet been
adequately determined or calibrated, such as the plasma beta profile inside
sunspots at depth and its horizontal profile, the entropy of ascending flows in
the penumbra, etc.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures. To appear in "Magnetic Coupling between the
Interior and the Atmosphere of the Sun", eds. S.S. Hasan and R.J. Rutten,
Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg,
Berlin, 200
Genetic improvement of tomato by targeted control of fruit softening
Controlling the rate of softening to extend shelf life was a key target for researchers engineering genetically modified (GM) tomatoes in the 1990s, but only modest improvements were achieved. Hybrids grown nowadays contain 'non-ripening mutations' that slow ripening and improve shelf life, but adversely affect flavor and color. We report substantial, targeted control of tomato softening, without affecting other aspects of ripening, by silencing a gene encoding a pectate lyase
Double-Diffusive Magnetic Layering
Double-diffusive systems, such as thermosolutal convection, in which the density depends on two components that diffuse at different rates, are prone to both steady and oscillatory instabilities. Such systems can evolve into layered states, in which both components, and also the density, adopt a "staircase" profile. Turbulent transport is enhanced significantly in the layered state. Here we exploit an analogy between magnetic buoyancy and thermosolutal convection in order to demonstrate the phenomenon of magnetic layering. We examine the long-term nonlinear evolution of a vertically stratified horizontal magnetic field in the so-called "diffusive regime," where an oscillatory linear instability operates. Motivated astrophysically, we consider the case where the viscous and magnetic diffusivities are much smaller than the thermal diffusivity. We demonstrate that diffusive layering can occur even for subadiabatic temperature gradients. Magnetic layering may be relevant for stellar radiative zones, with implications for the turbulent transport of heat, magnetic field, and chemical elements
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A Self-consistent Model of the Solar Tachocline
We present a local but fully nonlinear model of the solar tachocline, using
three-dimensional direct numerical simulations. The tachocline forms naturally
as a statistically steady balance between Coriolis, pressure, buoyancy and
Lorentz forces beneath a turbulent convection zone. Uniform rotation is
maintained in the radiation zone by a primordial magnetic field, which is
confined by meridional flows in the tachocline and convection zone. Such
balanced dynamics has previously been found in idealised laminar models, but
never in fully self-consistent numerical simulations