Subsurface Supergranular Vertical Flows as Measured Using Large Distance Separations in Time-Distance Helioseismology

As large--distance rays (say, 10\,-\,$24 ^\circ$) approach the solar surface approximately vertically, travel times measured from surface pairs for these large separations are mostly sensitive to vertical flows, at least for shallow flows within a few Mm of the solar surface. All previous analyses of supergranulation have used smaller separations and have been hampered by the difficulty of separating the horizontal and vertical flow components. We find that the large separation travel times associated with supergranulation cannot be studied using the standard phase-speed filters of time-distance helioseismology. These filters, whose use is based upon a refractive model of the perturbations, reduce the resultant travel time signal by at least an order of magnitude at some distances. More effective filters are derived. Modeling suggests that the center--annulus travel time difference $[\delta t_{\rm{oi}}]$ in the separation range $\Delta=10$\,-\,$24 ^\circ$ is insensitive to the horizontally diverging flow from the centers of the supergranules and should lead to a constant signal from the vertical flow. Our measurement of this quantity, 5.1 \pm 0.1\secs, is constant over the distance range. This magnitude of signal cannot be caused by the level of upflow at cell centers seen at the photosphere of 10\ms extended in depth. It requires the vertical flow to increase with depth. A simple Gaussian model of the increase with depth implies a peak upward flow of 240\ms at a depth of 2.3\Mm and a peak horizontal flow of 700\ms at a depth of 1.6\Mm.Comment: Solar Physics; 15 pages, 6 figure

Time-distance analysis of the emerging active region NOAA 10790

We investigate the emergence of Active Region NOAA 10790 by means of time – distance helioseismology. Shallow regions of increased sound speed at the location of increased magnetic activity are observed, with regions becoming deeper at the locations of sunspot pores. We also see a long-lasting region of decreased sound speed located underneath the region of the flux emergence, possibly relating to a temperature perturbation due to magnetic quenching of eddy diffusivity, or to a dense flux tube. We detect and track an object in the subsurface layers of the Sun characterised by increased sound speed which could be related to emerging magnetic-flux and thus obtain a provisional estimate of the speed of emergence of around 1 km s−1

Time--Distance Helioseismology Data Analysis Pipeline for Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO/HMI) and Its Initial Results

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO/HMI) provides continuous full-disk observations of solar oscillations. We develop a data-analysis pipeline based on the time-distance helioseismology method to measure acoustic travel times using HMI Doppler-shift observations, and infer solar interior properties by inverting these measurements. The pipeline is used for routine production of near-real-time full-disk maps of subsurface wave-speed perturbations and horizontal flow velocities for depths ranging from 0 to 20 Mm, every eight hours. In addition, Carrington synoptic maps for the subsurface properties are made from these full-disk maps. The pipeline can also be used for selected target areas and time periods. We explain details of the pipeline organization and procedures, including processing of the HMI Doppler observations, measurements of the travel times, inversions, and constructions of the full-disk and synoptic maps. Some initial results from the pipeline, including full-disk flow maps, sunspot subsurface flow fields, and the interior rotation and meridional flow speeds, are presented.Comment: Accepted by Solar Physics topical issue 'Solar Dynamics Observatory

Comparisons of Supergranule Characteristics During the Solar Minima of Cycles 22/23 and 23/24

Supergranulation is a component of solar convection that manifests itself on the photosphere as a cellular network of around 35 Mm across, with a turnover lifetime of 1-2 days. It is strongly linked to the structure of the magnetic field. The horizontal, divergent flows within supergranule cells carry local field lines to the cell boundaries, while the rotational properties of supergranule upflows may contribute to the restoration of the poloidal field as part of the dynamo mechanism that controls the solar cycle. The solar minimum at the transition from cycle 23 to 24 was notable for its low level of activity and its extended length. It is of interest to study whether the convective phenomena that influences the solar magnetic field during this time differed in character to periods of previous minima. This study investigates three characteristics (velocity components, sizes and lifetimes) of solar supergranulation. Comparisons of these characteristics are made between the minima of cycles 22/23 and 23/24 using MDI Doppler data from 1996 and 2008, respectively. It is found that whereas the lifetimes are equal during both epochs (around 18 h), the sizes are larger in 1996 (35.9 +/- 0.3 Mm) than in 2008 (35.0 +/- 0.3 Mm), while the dominant horizontal velocity flows are weaker (139 +/- 1 m/s in 1996; 141 +/- 1 m/s in 2008). Although numerical differences are seen, they are not conclusive proof of the most recent minimum being inherently unusual.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures. Solar Physics, in pres

Helioseismology of Sunspots: A Case Study of NOAA Region 9787

Various methods of helioseismology are used to study the subsurface properties of the sunspot in NOAA Active Region 9787. This sunspot was chosen because it is axisymmetric, shows little evolution during 20-28 January 2002, and was observed continuously by the MDI/SOHO instrument. (...) Wave travel times and mode frequencies are affected by the sunspot. In most cases, wave packets that propagate through the sunspot have reduced travel times. At short travel distances, however, the sign of the travel-time shifts appears to depend sensitively on how the data are processed and, in particular, on filtering in frequency-wavenumber space. We carry out two linear inversions for wave speed: one using travel-times and phase-speed filters and the other one using mode frequencies from ring analysis. These two inversions give subsurface wave-speed profiles with opposite signs and different amplitudes. (...) From this study of AR9787, we conclude that we are currently unable to provide a unified description of the subsurface structure and dynamics of the sunspot.Comment: 28 pages, 18 figure

Advances in Global and Local Helioseismology: an Introductory Review

Helioseismology studies the structure and dynamics of the Sun's interior by observing oscillations on the surface. These studies provide information about the physical processes that control the evolution and magnetic activity of the Sun. In recent years, helioseismology has made substantial progress towards the understanding of the physics of solar oscillations and the physical processes inside the Sun, thanks to observational, theoretical and modeling efforts. In addition to the global seismology of the Sun based on measurements of global oscillation modes, a new field of local helioseismology, which studies oscillation travel times and local frequency shifts, has been developed. It is capable of providing 3D images of the subsurface structures and flows. The basic principles, recent advances and perspectives of global and local helioseismology are reviewed in this article.Comment: 86 pages, 46 figures; "Pulsation of the Sun and Stars", Lecture Notes in Physics, Vol. 832, Rozelot, Jean-Pierre; Neiner, Coralie (Eds.), 201

Recent Developments in Helioseismic Analysis Methods and Solar Data Assimilation

MR and AS have received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement no. 307117

Properties of Flares-Generated Seismic Waves on the Sun

The solar seismic waves excited by solar flares (``sunquakes'') are observed as circular expanding waves on the Sun's surface. The first sunquake was observed for a flare of July 9, 1996, from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) space mission. However, when the new solar cycle started in 1997, the observations of solar flares from SOHO did not show the seismic waves, similar to the 1996 event, even for large X-class flares during the solar maximum in 2000-2002. The first evidence of the seismic flare signal in this solar cycle was obtained for the 2003 ``Halloween'' events, through acoustic ``egression power'' by Donea and Lindsey. After these several other strong sunquakes have been observed. Here, I present a detailed analysis of the basic properties of the helioseismic waves generated by three solar flares in 2003-2005. For two of these flares, X17 flare of October 28, 2003, and X1.2 flare of January 15, 2005, the helioseismology observations are compared with simultaneous observations of flare X-ray fluxes measured from the RHESSI satellite. These observations show a close association between the flare seismic waves and the hard X-ray source, indicating that high-energy electrons accelerated during the flare impulsive phase produced strong compression waves in the photosphere, causing the sunquake. The results also reveal new physical properties such as strong anisotropy of the seismic waves, the amplitude of which varies significantly with the direction of propagation. The waves travel through surrounding sunspot regions to large distances, up to 120 Mm, without significant decay. These observations open new perspectives for helioseismic diagnostics of flaring active regions on the Sun and for understanding the mechanisms of the energy release and transport in solar flares.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Ap

Constructing and Characterising Solar Structure Models for Computational Helioseismology

In this paper, we construct background solar models that are stable against convection, by modifying the vertical pressure gradient of Model S (Christensen-Dalsgaard et al., 1996, Science, 272, 1286) relinquishing hydrostatic equilibrium. However, the stabilisation affects the eigenmodes that we wish to remain as close to Model S as possible. In a bid to recover the Model S eigenmodes, we choose to make additional corrections to the sound speed of Model S before stabilisation. No stabilised model can be perfectly solar-like, so we present three stabilised models with slightly different eigenmodes. The models are appropriate to study the f and p1 to p4 modes with spherical harmonic degrees in the range from 400 to 900. Background model CSM has a modified pressure gradient for stabilisation and has eigenfrequencies within 2% of Model S. Model CSM_A has an additional 10% increase in sound speed in the top 1 Mm resulting in eigenfrequencies within 2% of Model S and eigenfunctions that are, in comparison with CSM, closest to those of Model S. Model CSM_B has a 3% decrease in sound speed in the top 5 Mm resulting in eigenfrequencies within 1% of Model S and eigenfunctions that are only marginally adversely affected. These models are useful to study the interaction of solar waves with embedded three-dimensional heterogeneities, such as convective flows and model sunspots. We have also calculated the response of the stabilised models to excitation by random near-surface sources, using simulations of the propagation of linear waves. We find that the simulated power spectra of wave motion are in good agreement with an observed SOHO/MDI power spectrum. Overall, our convectively stabilised background models provide a good basis for quantitative numerical local helioseismology. The models are available for download from http://www.mps.mpg.de/projects/seismo/NA4/.Comment: 35 pages, 23 figures Changed title Updated Figure 1