Small-scale topology of solar atmosphere dynamics : III : granular persistence and photospheric wave amplitudes

We use a superb five-hour sequence of 900 solar images taken at La Palma to study long-duration persistence in the solar granulation,in the context of the longlived "intergranular holes" discovered by Roudier et al. (1997)and th e contention that these mark sites of convective downflow plumes.We develop a procedure to locate "persistency regions" that contain granular brightness maxima or minima over extended periods (up to 45 min),while allowing for lateral drifts due to horizontal flows. Statistical evaluation of the co-location probability for different pixel classes is first used to quantify the likelihood of long-term stationarity for different granular brightness classes and for the persistency regions,and then to evaluate the amount of preferential alignment,at different frequencies and time delays,between excessive Fourier modulation and granular brightness and persistence. The results support the existence of long-lived intergranular oles.There is large persistency difference between the brig test and the darkest features; some of the latter ave location memories as long as two ours.In addition, the darkest intergranular features are found to be sites of enhanced Fourier modulation in the 3-min acoustic regime,improving earlier results throug much higher statistical significance.However,the persistency regions containing intergranular oles do not seem to produce the excess acoustic emission that would be expected above down flow plumes

Small-scale topology of solar atmosphere dynamics I: wave sources and wave diffraction

We study the small-scale topology of dynamical phenomena in the quiet-sun internet w ork atmosphere,using short-duration Fourier analysis of high-resolution filtergram sequences to obtain statistical estimates for the co-location probability of different fine-structure elements and wave modes. In this initial paper w e concentrate on the topology of short-duration Fourier amplitude maps for the photosphere and the simultaneously observed o verlying chromosphere. We find that these maps portray acomplex mix of global modes and locally excited w aveswhich necessitates a statistical approach. Variousaspects including mesoscale patterning indicate the presence of subsurface w avesources and of subsurface w avediffraction by convective inhomogeneities

On photospheric flows and chromospheric corks

Proper motions of granules are measured by local correlation tracking on a 4.5 h image sequence obtained with the Swedish Vacuum Tower Telescope at La Palma. A 2arcsec spati l low- pass filter is applied to obtain meso-scale flow patterns.We find that their characteristic lifetime (1 /e value)has a lower limit of five to six hours.Comparison with a simultaneous co-spatial sequence of chromospheric K 2V images shows that these flows sweep supergranulation cells clean in about the s me period. A chromospheric "persistent flasher", seen during three hours in K 2V , migrates to the magnetic network as if it were photospheric cork

Meissner state in finite superconducting cylinders with uniform applied magnetic field

We study the magnetic response of superconductors in the presence of low values of a uniform applied magnetic field. We report measurements of DC magnetization and AC magnetic susceptibility performed on niobium cylinders of different length-to-radius ratios, which show a dramatic enhance of the initial magnetization for thin samples, due to the demagnetizing effects. The experimental results are analyzed by applying a model that calculates the magnetic response of the superconductor, taking into account the effects of the demagnetizing fields. We use the results of magnetization and current and field distributions of perfectly diamagnetic cylinders to discuss the physics of the demagnetizing effects in the Meissner state of type-II superconductors.Comment: Accepted to be published in Phys. Rev. B; 15 pages, 7 ps figure

History effects and pinning regimes in solid vortex matter

We propose a phenomenological model that accounts for the history effects observed in ac susceptibility measurements in YBa2Cu3O7 single crystals [Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 4200 (2000) and Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 504 (2001)]. Central to the model is the assumption that the penetrating ac magnetic field modifies the vortex lattice mobility, trapping different robust dynamical states in different regions of the sample. We discuss in detail on the response of the superconductor to an ac magnetic field when the vortex lattice mobility is not uniform inside the sample. We begin with an analytical description for a simple geometry (slab) and then we perform numerical calculations for a strip in a transverse magnetic field which include relaxation effects. In calculations, the vortex system is assumed to coexist in different pinning regimes. The vortex behavior in the regions where the induced current density j has been always below a given threshold (j_c^>) is described by an elastic Campbell-like regime (or a critical state regime with local high critical current density, j_c^>). When the VS is shaken by symmetrical (e.g. sinusoidal) ac fields, the critical current density is modified to j_c^) at regions where vortices have been forced to oscillate by a current density larger than j_c^>. Experimentally, an initial state with high critical current density (j_c^>) can be obtained by zero field cooling, field cooling (with no applied ac field) or by shaking the vortex lattice with an asymmetrical (e.g. sawtooth) field. We compare our calculations with experimental ac susceptibility results in YBa2Cu3O7 single crystals.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures. To be published in PR

Exact Solution for the Critical State in Thin Superconductor Strips with Field Dependent or Anisotropic Pinning

An exact analytical solution is given for the critical state problem in long thin superconductor strips in a perpendicular magnetic field, when the critical current density j_c(B) depends on the local induction B according to a simple three-parameter model. This model describes both isotropic superconductors with this j_c(B) dependence, but also superconductors with anisotropic pinning described by a dependence j_c(theta) where theta is the tilt angle of the flux lines away from the normal to the specimen plane

Magnetic-field and current-density distributions in thin-film superconducting rings and disks

We show how to calculate the magnetic-field and sheet-current distributions for a thin-film superconducting annular ring (inner radius a, outer radius b, and thickness d<<a) when either the penetration depth obeys lambda < d/2 or, if lambda > d/2, the two-dimensional screening length obeys Lambda = 2 lambda^2/d << a for the following cases: (a) magnetic flux trapped in the hole in the absence of an applied magnetic field, (b) zero magnetic flux in the hole when the ring is subjected to an applied magnetic field, and (c) focusing of magnetic flux into the hole when a magnetic field is applied but no net current flows around the ring. We use a similar method to calculate the magnetic-field and sheet-current distributions and magnetization loops for a thin, bulk-pinning-free superconducting disk (radius b) containing a dome of magnetic flux of radius a when flux entry is impeded by a geometrical barrier.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figure

Space-Time Distribution of G-Band and Ca II H-Line Intensity Oscillations in Hinode/SOT-FG Observations

We study the space-time distributions of intensity fluctuations in 2 - 3 hour sequences of multi-spectral, high-resolution, high-cadence broad-band filtergram images (BFI) made by the SOT-FG system aboard the Hinode spacecraft. In the frequency range 5.5 < f < 8.0 mHz both G-band and Ca II H-line oscillations are suppressed in the presence of magnetic fields, but the suppression disappears for f > 10 mHz. By looking at G-band frequencies above 10 mHz we find that the oscillatory power, both at these frequencies and at lower frequencies too, lies in a mesh pattern with cell scale 2 - 3 Mm, clearly larger than normal granulation, and with correlation times on the order of hours. The mesh pattern lies in the dark lanes between stable cells found in time-integrated G-band intensity images. It also underlies part of the bright pattern in time-integrated H-line emission. This discovery may reflect dynamical constraints on the sizes of rising granular convection cells together with the turbulence created in strong intercellular downflows.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figure

Structural Invariance of Sunspot Umbrae Over the Solar Cycle: 1993-2004

Measurements of maximum magnetic flux, minimum intensity, and size are presented for 12 967 sunspot umbrae detected on the NASA/NSO spectromagnetograms between 1993 and 2004 to study umbral structure and strength during the solar cycle. The umbrae are selected using an automated thresholding technique. Measured umbral intensities are first corrected for a confirming observation of umbral limb-darkening. Log-normal fits to the observed size distribution confirm that the size spectrum shape does not vary with time. The intensity-magnetic flux relationship is found to be steady over the solar cycle. The dependence of umbral size on the magnetic flux and minimum intensity are also independent of cycle phase and give linear and quadratic relations, respectively. While the large sample size does show a low amplitude oscillation in the mean minimum intensity and maximum magnetic flux correlated with the solar cycle, this can be explained in terms of variations in the mean umbral size. These size variations, however, are small and do not substantiate a meaningful change in the size spectrum of the umbrae generated by the Sun. Thus, in contrast to previous reports, the observations suggest the equilibrium structure, as testified by the invariant size-magnetic field relationship, as well as the mean size (i.e. strength) of sunspot umbrae do not significantly depend on solar cycle phase.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures. Published in Solar Physic

Overcritical states of a superconductor strip in a magnetic environment

A current-carrying superconducting strip partly penetrated by magnetic flux and surrounded by a bulk magnet of high permeability is considered. Two types of samples are studied: those with critical current controlled by an edge barrier dominating over the pinning, and those with high pinning-mediated critical current masking the edge barrier.It is shown for both cases that the current distribution in a central flux-free part of the strip is strongly affected by the actual shape of the magnetic surroundings. Explicit analytical solutions for the sheet current and self-field distributions are obtained which show that, depending on the geometry, the effect may suppress the total loss-free transport current of the strip or enhance it by orders of magnitude. The effect depends strongly on the shape of the magnet and its distance to the superconductor but only weakly on the magnetic permeability.Comment: 20 pages, 20 figure