3D Magnetohydrodynamic Wave Propagation and Energy Transport in a Simulated Solar Vortex
Magnetic flux tubes in the presence of background rotational flows are abundant throughout the solar atmosphere and may act as conduits for MHD waves to transport energy throughout the solar atmosphere. Here we investigate the contribution from MHD waves to the Poynting flux in a 3D numerical simula...
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adce73 |
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| author | Samuel J. Skirvin Viktor Fedun Gary Verth Istvan Ballai |
| author_facet | Samuel J. Skirvin Viktor Fedun Gary Verth Istvan Ballai |
| author_sort | Samuel J. Skirvin |
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| description | Magnetic flux tubes in the presence of background rotational flows are abundant throughout the solar atmosphere and may act as conduits for MHD waves to transport energy throughout the solar atmosphere. Here we investigate the contribution from MHD waves to the Poynting flux in a 3D numerical simulation of a realistic solar atmosphere, modeling a structure resembling a solar vortex tube, using the PLUTO code in the presence of different plasma flow configurations. These simulations feature a closed magnetic loop system where a rotational flow is imposed at one footpoint in addition to photospheric perturbations acting as a wave driver mimicking those of p -modes. We find that a variety of MHD waves exist within the vortex tube, including sausage, kink, and torsional Alfvén waves, owing to the photospheric wave driver and the nature of the rotational flow itself. We demonstrate how the visual interpretation of different MHD modes becomes nontrivial when a background rotational flow is present compared to a static flux tube. By conducting a simulation both with and without the rotational plasma flow, we demonstrate how the perturbed Poynting flux increases in the presence of the rotational flow as the waves transport increased magnetic energy. We attribute this increase to the dynamical pressure from the rotational flow increasing the plasma density at the tube boundary, which acts to trap the wave energy more effectively inside the vortex. Moreover, we demonstrate how the Poynting flux is always directed upward in weakly twisted magnetic flux tubes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4f18f4511f5142aab8a996d0ab1f6ba3 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
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| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-4f18f4511f5142aab8a996d0ab1f6ba32025-07-10T14:36:48ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-0198811810.3847/1538-4357/adce733D Magnetohydrodynamic Wave Propagation and Energy Transport in a Simulated Solar VortexSamuel J. Skirvin0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3814-4232Viktor Fedun1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0893-7346Gary Verth2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9546-2368Istvan Ballai3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3066-7653Plasma Dynamics Group, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Sheffield , Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK ; samuel.j.skirvin@northumbria.ac.ukPlasma Dynamics Group, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Sheffield , Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK ; samuel.j.skirvin@northumbria.ac.ukPlasma Dynamics Group, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Sheffield , Sheffield S3 7RH, UKPlasma Dynamics Group, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Sheffield , Sheffield S3 7RH, UKMagnetic flux tubes in the presence of background rotational flows are abundant throughout the solar atmosphere and may act as conduits for MHD waves to transport energy throughout the solar atmosphere. Here we investigate the contribution from MHD waves to the Poynting flux in a 3D numerical simulation of a realistic solar atmosphere, modeling a structure resembling a solar vortex tube, using the PLUTO code in the presence of different plasma flow configurations. These simulations feature a closed magnetic loop system where a rotational flow is imposed at one footpoint in addition to photospheric perturbations acting as a wave driver mimicking those of p -modes. We find that a variety of MHD waves exist within the vortex tube, including sausage, kink, and torsional Alfvén waves, owing to the photospheric wave driver and the nature of the rotational flow itself. We demonstrate how the visual interpretation of different MHD modes becomes nontrivial when a background rotational flow is present compared to a static flux tube. By conducting a simulation both with and without the rotational plasma flow, we demonstrate how the perturbed Poynting flux increases in the presence of the rotational flow as the waves transport increased magnetic energy. We attribute this increase to the dynamical pressure from the rotational flow increasing the plasma density at the tube boundary, which acts to trap the wave energy more effectively inside the vortex. Moreover, we demonstrate how the Poynting flux is always directed upward in weakly twisted magnetic flux tubes.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adce73MagnetohydrodynamicsSolar atmosphereSolar chromosphereSolar oscillations |
| spellingShingle | Samuel J. Skirvin Viktor Fedun Gary Verth Istvan Ballai 3D Magnetohydrodynamic Wave Propagation and Energy Transport in a Simulated Solar Vortex The Astrophysical Journal Magnetohydrodynamics Solar atmosphere Solar chromosphere Solar oscillations |
| title | 3D Magnetohydrodynamic Wave Propagation and Energy Transport in a Simulated Solar Vortex |
| title_full | 3D Magnetohydrodynamic Wave Propagation and Energy Transport in a Simulated Solar Vortex |
| title_fullStr | 3D Magnetohydrodynamic Wave Propagation and Energy Transport in a Simulated Solar Vortex |
| title_full_unstemmed | 3D Magnetohydrodynamic Wave Propagation and Energy Transport in a Simulated Solar Vortex |
| title_short | 3D Magnetohydrodynamic Wave Propagation and Energy Transport in a Simulated Solar Vortex |
| title_sort | 3d magnetohydrodynamic wave propagation and energy transport in a simulated solar vortex |
| topic | Magnetohydrodynamics Solar atmosphere Solar chromosphere Solar oscillations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adce73 |
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