Mechanisms for MHD poynting flux generation in simulations of solar photospheric magnetoconvection

Sergiy Shelyag, Mihalis Mathioudakis, Francis Keenan

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Abstract

We investigate the generation mechanisms of MHD Poynting flux in the magnetized solar photosphere. Using radiative MHD modeling of the solar photosphere with initial magnetic configurations that differ in their field strength and geometry, we show the presence of two different mechanisms for MHD Poynting flux generation in simulations of solar photospheric magnetoconvection. The weaker mechanism is connected to vertical transport of weak horizontal magnetic fields in the convectively stable layers of the upper photosphere, while the stronger is the production of Poynting flux in strongly magnetized intergranular lanes experiencing horizontal vortex motions. These mechanisms may be responsible for the energy transport from the solar convection zone to the higher layers of the solar atmosphere.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberL22
JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume753
Issue number1
Early online date15 Jun 2012
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2012

Keywords

  • magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)
  • plasmas
  • Sun: photosphere
  • Sun: surface magnetism

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