English

The coronal power spectrum from MHD mode conversion above sunspots

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2025-01-07 v1

Abstract

Sunspots are intense regions of magnetic flux that are rooted deep below the photosphere. It is well established that sunspots host magnetohydrodynamic waves, with numerous observations showing a connection to the internal acoustic (or p-)modes of the Sun. The p-modes are fast waves below the equipartition layer and are thought to undergo a double mode conversion as they propagate upwards into the atmosphere of sunspots, which can generate Alfv\'{e}nic modes in the upper atmosphere. We employ 2.5D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) numerical simulations to investigate the adiabatic wave propagation and examine the resulting power spectra of coronal Alfv\'{e}nic waves. A broadband wave source is used that has a 1D power spectrum which mimics aspects of the observed p-mode power spectrum. We examine magnetoacoustic wave propagation and mode conversion from the photosphere to the corona. Frequency filtering of the upwardly propagating acoustic waves is a natural consequence of a gravitationally stratified atmosphere, and plays a key role in shaping the power spectra of mode converted waves. We demonstrate that the slow, fast magnetoacoustic waves and Alfv\'{e}n waves above the equipartition layer have similarly shaped power spectra, which are modified versions of the driver spectrum. Notably, the results reveal that the coronal wave power spectra have a peak at a higher frequency than that of the underlying p-mode driver. This matches observations of coronal Alfv\'enic waves and further supports the role of mode conversion process as a mechanism for Alfv\'enic wave generation in the Sun's atmosphere.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2501.03094,
  title  = {The coronal power spectrum from MHD mode conversion above sunspots},
  author = {Hemanthi Miriyala and Richard J. Morton and Elena Khomenko and Patrick Antolin and Gert J. J. Botha},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.03094},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

Accepted in The Astrophysical Journal

R2 v1 2026-06-28T20:57:41.106Z