(HinodeHinode) and IRIS observations of the magnetohydrodynamic waves propagating from the photosphere to the chromosphere in a sunspot

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EDT 2016 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/831/1/24· OSTI ID:22868551

Kanoh, Ryuichi; Shimizu, Toshifumi ^[1]; Imada, Shinsuke ^[2]

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1. Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)
2. Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601 (Japan)

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves have been considered as energy sources for heating the solar chromosphere and the corona. Although MHD waves have been observed in the solar atmosphere, there are a lack of quantitative estimates on the energy transfer and dissipation in the atmosphere. We performed simultaneous Hinode and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph observations of a sunspot umbra to derive the upward energy fluxes at two different atmospheric layers (photosphere and lower transition region) and estimate the energy dissipation. The observations revealed some properties of the observed periodic oscillations in physical quantities, such as their phase relations, temporal behaviors, and power spectra, making a conclusion that standing slow-mode waves are dominant at the photosphere with their high-frequency leakage, which is observed as upward waves at the chromosphere and the lower transition region. Our estimates of upward energy fluxes are 2.0×10{sup 7} erg cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} at the photospheric level and 8.3×10{sup 4} erg cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} at the lower transition region level. The difference between the energy fluxes is larger than the energy required to maintain the chromosphere in the sunspot umbrae, suggesting that the observed waves can make a crucial contribution to the heating of the chromosphere in the sunspot umbrae. In contrast, the upward energy flux derived at the lower transition region level is smaller than the energy flux required for heating the corona, implying that we may need another heating mechanism. We should, however, note a possibility that the energy dissipated at the chromosphere might be overestimated because of the opacity effect.

• OSTI ID: 22868551
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 831; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
CHROMOSPHERE
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
OSCILLATIONS
PERIODICITY
PHOTOSPHERE
SOLAR CORONA
SPECTRA
SUN
SUNSPOTS