TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS IN THE SOLAR ATMOSPHERE AND THE ORIGIN OF CUTOFF FREQUENCY FOR TORSIONAL TUBE WAVES

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/709/2/1297· OSTI ID:21392256

Routh, S; Musielak, Z E ^[1]; Hammer, R ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019 (United States)
2. Kiepenheuer-Institut fuer Sonnenphysik, Schoeneckstr. 6, Freiburg D-79104 (Germany)

Fundamental modes supported by a thin magnetic flux tube embedded in the solar atmosphere are typically classified as longitudinal, transverse, and torsional waves. If the tube is isothermal, then the propagation of longitudinal and transverse tube waves is restricted to frequencies that are higher than the corresponding global cutoff frequency for each wave. However, no such global cutoff frequency exists for torsional tube waves, which means that a thin and isothermal flux tube supports torsional tube waves of any frequency. In this paper, we consider a thin and non-isothermal magnetic flux tube and demonstrate that temperature gradients inside this tube are responsible for the origin of a cutoff frequency for torsional tube waves. The cutoff frequency is used to determine conditions for the wave propagation in the solar atmosphere, and the obtained results are compared to the recent observational data that support the existence of torsional tube waves in the Sun.

• OSTI ID: 21392256
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 709; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETIC FLUX
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MECHANICS
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
STARS
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
SUN
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
WAVE PROPAGATION