The physics of twisted magnetic tubes rising in a stratified medium: two dimensional results

The physics of a twisted magnetic flux tube rising in a stratified medium is studied using a numerical MHD code. The problem considered is fully compressible (no Boussinesq approximation), includes ohmic resistivity, and is two dimensional, i.e., there is no variation of the variables in the direction of the tube axis. We study a high plasma beta case with small ratio of radius to external pressure scaleheight. The results obtained can therefore be of relevance to understand the transport of magnetic flux across the solar convection zone.Comment: To be published in ApJ, Vol. 492, Jan 10th, 1998; 25 pages, 16 figures. NEW VERSION: THE PREVIOUS ONE DIDN'T PRINT CORRECTLY. The style file overrulehere.sty is include

Transport of toroidal magnetic field by the meridional flow at the base of the solar convection zone

In this paper we discuss the transport of toroidal magnetic field by a weak meridional flow at the base of the convection zone. We utilize the differential rotation and meridional flow model developed by Rempel and incorporate feedback of a purely toroidal magnetic field in two ways: directly through the Lorentz force (magnetic tension) and indirectly through quenching of the turbulent viscosity, which affects the parametrized turbulent angular momentum transport in the model. In the case of direct Lorentz force feedback we find that a meridional flow with an amplitude of around 2 m/s can transport a magnetic field with a strength of 20 to 30 kG. Quenching of turbulent viscosity leads to deflection of the meridional flow from the magnetized region and a significant reduction of the transport velocity if the magnetic field is above equipartition strength.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

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

The Three-dimensional Evolution of Rising, Twisted Magnetic Flux Tubes in a Gravitationally Stratified Model Convection Zone

We present three-dimensional numerical simulations of the rise and fragmentation of twisted, initially horizontal magnetic flux tubes which evolve into emerging Omega-loops. The flux tubes rise buoyantly through an adiabatically stratified plasma that represents the solar convection zone. The MHD equations are solved in the anelastic approximation, and the results are compared with studies of flux tube fragmentation in two dimensions. We find that if the initial amount of field line twist is below a critical value, the degree of fragmentation at the apex of a rising Omega-loop depends on its three-dimensional geometry: the greater the apex curvature of a given Omega-loop, the lesser the degree of fragmentation of the loop as it approaches the photosphere. Thus, the amount of initial twist necessary for the loop to retain its cohesion can be reduced substantially from the two-dimensional limit. The simulations also suggest that as a fragmented flux tube emerges through a relatively quiet portion of the solar disk, extended crescent-shaped magnetic features of opposite polarity should form and steadily recede from one another. These features eventually coalesce after the fragmented portion of the Omega-loop emerges through the photosphere.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figures, uses AAS LaTeX macros v5.0. ApJ, in pres

Convective intensification of magnetic flux tubes in stellar photospheres

The convective collapse of thin magnetic flux tubes in the photospheres of sun-like stars is investigated using realistic models of the superadiabatic upper convection zone layers of these stars. The strengths of convectively stable flux tubes are computed as a function of surface gravity and effective temperature. We find that while stars with T$_{eff}\ge$ 5500 K and log $g$$\ge$ 4.0 show flux tubes highly evacuated of gas, and hence strong field strengths, due to convective collapse, cooler stars exhibit flux tubes with lower field strengths. Observations reveal the existence of field strengths close to thermal equipartition limits even in cooler stars, implying highly evacuated tubes, for which we suggest possible reasons.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, uses AAS LaTeX macros v5.0; To appear in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

HARD PHOTON PRODUCTION IN NUCLEUS-NUCLEUS COLLISIONS AT 30 MeV/u AND 44 MeV/u

Doubly differential cross-sections for Bremsstrahlung production have been measured in the reactions 40Ar + 197Au at 30 MeV/u and 86Kr +12C, AgNat and 197Au at 44 MeV/u. A qualitative analysis of the characteristics of the γ-ray emission suggests strongly that the initial proton-neutron collisions are the main source of nuclear Bremsstrahlung

Can Extra Mixing in RGB and AGB Stars Be Attributed to Magnetic Mechanisms?

It is known that there must be some weak form of transport (called cool bottom processing, or CBP) acting in low mass RGB and AGB stars, adding nuclei, newly produced near the hydrogen-burning shell, to the convective envelope. We assume that this extra-mixing originates in a stellar dynamo operated by the differential rotation below the envelope, maintaining toroidal magnetic fields near the hydrogen-burning shell. We use a phenomenological approach to the buoyancy of magnetic flux tubes, assuming that they induce matter circulation as needed by CBP models. This establishes requirements on the fields necessary to transport material from zones where some nuclear burning takes place, through the radiative layer, and into the convective envelope. Magnetic field strengths are determined by the transport rates needed by CBP for the model stellar structure of a star of initially 1.5 solar mass, in both the AGB and RGB phases. The field required for the AGB star in the processing zone is B_0 ~ 5x10^6 G; at the base of the convective envelope this yields an intensity B_E < 10^4 G (approximately). For the RGB case, B_0 ~ 5x10^4 to 4x10^5 G, and the corresponding B_E are ~ 450 to 3500 G. These results are consistent with existing observations on AGB stars. They also hint at the basis for high field sources in some planetary nebulae and the very large fields found in some white dwarfs. It is concluded that transport by magnetic buoyancy should be considered as a possible mechanism for extra mixing through the radiative zone, as is required by both stellar observations and the extensive isotopic data on circumstellar condensates found in meteorites.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Astrophysical Journa

Flower numbers, pod production, pollen viability, and pistil function are reduced and flower and pod abortion increased in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under terminal drought

Terminal drought during the reproductive stage is a major constraint to yield of chickpea in many regions of the world. Termination of watering (WS) during podding in a small-seeded desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivar, Rupali, and a large-seeded kabuli chickpea cultivar, Almaz, induced a decrease in predawn leaf water potential (LWP), in the rate of photosynthesis, and in stomatal conductance. Compared to well-watered (WW) controls, the WS treatment reduced flower production by about two-thirds. In the WW treatment, about 15% of the flowers aborted and 42% (Rupali) and 67% (Almaz) of the pods aborted, whereas in the WS treatment 37% and 56% of the flowers aborted and 54% and 73% of the pods aborted, resulting in seed yields of 33% and 15% of the yields in WW plants in Rupali and Almaz, respectively. In vitro pollen viability and germination in Rupali decreased by 50% and 89% in the WS treatment, and pollen germination decreased by 80% in vivo when pollen from a WS plant was placed on a stigma of a WW plant. While about 37% of the germinated pollen tubes from WW plants and 22% from the WS plants reached the ovary in the WW plants, less than 3% of pollen grains reached the ovary when pollen from either WS or WW plants was placed on a stigma of a WS plant. It is concluded that, in addition to pod abortion, flower abortion is an important factor limiting yield in chickpea exposed to terminal drought and that water deficit impaired the function of the pistil/style more than the pollen

Starspots on the fastest rotators in the Beta Pic moving group

Aims: We carried out high-resolution spectroscopy and BV(I)_C photometric monitoring of the two fastest late-type rotators in the nearby Beta Pictoris moving group, HD199143 (F7V) and CD-641208 (K7V). The motivation for this work is to investigate the rotation periods and photospheric spot patterns of these very young stars, with a longer term view to probing the evolution of rotation and magnetic activity during the early phases of main-sequence evolution. We also aim to derive information on key physical parameters, such as rotational velocity and rotation period. Methods: We applied maximum entropy (ME) and Tikhonov regularizing (TR) criteria to derive the surface spot map distributions of the optical modulation observed in HD199143 (F7 V) and CD-641208 (K7V). We also used cross-correlation techniques to determine stellar parameters such as radial velocities and rotational velocities. Lomb-Scargle periodograms were used to obtain the rotational periods from differential magnitude time series. Results: We find periods and inclinations of 0.356 days and 21.5deg for HD199143, and 0.355 days and 50.1deg for CD-641208. The spot maps of HD199143 obtained from the ME and TR methods are very similar, although the latter gives a smoother distribution of the filling factor. Maps obtained at two different epochs three weeks apart show a remarkable increase in spot coverage amounting to ~7% of the surface of the photosphere over a time period of only ~20 days. The spot maps of CD-641208 from the two methods show good longitudinal agreement, whereas the latitude range of the spots is extended to cover the whole visible hemisphere in the TR map. The distributions obtained from the first light curve of HD199143 show the presence of an extended and asymmetric active longitude with the maximum filling factor at longitude ~325degree.Comment: Accepted by A&A. 13 pages, 13 figures (4 online included), 5 Table

Writhe in the Stretch-Twist-Fold Dynamo

This is an Author's Original Manuscript of an article whose final and definitive form, the Version of Record, has been published in Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics (2008) Copyright © 2008 Taylor & Francis, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/03091920802531791This article looks at the influence of writhe in the stretch-twist-fold dynamo. We consider a thin flux tube distorted by simple stretch, twist, and fold motions and calculate the helicity and energy spectra. The writhe number assists in the calculations, as it tells us how much the internal twist changes as the tube is distorted. In addition it provides a valuable diagnostic for the degree of distortion. Non mirror-symmetric dynamos typically generate magnetic helicity of one sign on large-scales and the opposite sign on small scales. The calculations presented here confirm the hypothesis that the large-scale helicity corresponds to writhe and the small scale corresponds to twist. In addition, the writhe helicity spectrum exhibits an interesting oscillatory behavior. The technique of calculating Fourier spectra for the writhe helicity may be useful in other areas of research, for example, the study of highly coiled molecules