Related papers: Morphological study of penumbral formation
Rotation of the leading sunspot of active region NOAA 10421 was investigated using magnetograms and Dopplergrams from the MDI instrument of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), and white-light images from the Transition Region and…
Many previous studies have shown that magnetic fields as well as sunspot structures present rapid and irreversible changes associated with solar flares. In this paper we first use five X-class flares observed by SDO/HMI to show that not…
We used the flux calibrated images through the Broad Band Filter Imager and Stokes Polarimeter data obtained with the Solar Optical Telescope onboard the Hinode spacecraft to study the properties of bright points in and around the sunspots.…
We employ high resolution filtergrams and polarimetric measurements from Hinode to follow the evolution of a sunspot for eight days starting on June 28, 2007. The imaging data were corrected for intensity gradients, projection effects, and…
Context. Solar eruptions and high flare activity often accompany the rapid rotation of sunspots. The study of sunspot rotation and the mechanisms driving this motion are therefore key to our understanding of how the solar atmosphere attains…
The realism of current models of the penumbra is assessed by comparing their predictions with the plasma properties of penumbral filaments as retrieved from spectropolarimetric observations. The spectropolarimeter onboard Hinode allows us…
The formation of sunspots requires the concentration of magnetic flux near the surface. The negative magnetic pressure instability (NEMPI) might be a possible mechanism for accomplishing this, but it has mainly been studied in simple…
The motion of dark striations across bright filaments in a sunspot penumbra has become an important new diagnostic of convective gas flows in penumbral filaments. The nature of these striations has, however, remained unclear. Here we…
We present results from numerical modeling of emerging flux regions on the solar surface. The modeling was carried out by means of 3D radiative MHD simulations of the rise of buoyant magnetic flux tubes through the convection zone and into…
One of the puzzling features of solar magnetism is formation of long-living compact magnetic structures; such as sunspots and pores, in the highly turbulent upper layer of the solar convective zone. We use realistic radiative 3D MHD…
The relationship between the decay of sunspots and moving magnetic features (MMFs) plays an important role in understanding the evolution of active regions. We present observations of two adjacent sunspots, the gap between them, and a lot…
The low ionization state in parts of a sunspot may play an important role in its evolution and dynamical state. The cool magnetic interior region of the sunspot develops a substantial neutral atomic and molecular hydrogen osmotic pressure…
We investigated the role of photospheric plasma motions in the formation and evolution of polar magnetic patches using time-sequence observations with high spatial resolution. The observations were obtained with the spectropolarimeter on…
We present a subset of multi-wavelengths observations obtained with the Japanese Hinode mission, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), and the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) at Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain during the time period…
A typical sunspot, as seen in white-light intensity images, has a two part structure: a dark umbra and a lighter penumbra. Such distinction primarily arises due to the different orientations of magnetic fields in these two regions. In this…
The physical parameters of the sunspot are not fully understood, especially the height dependence of the magnetic field. So far, it is also an open question as to which heights the He I 1083 nm spectral line is formed at. Our aim is to…
Context. Existing sunspot simulations fail to reproduce the observed magnetic field distribution due to an artificially increased $B_{hor}$ at the upper boundary. Aims. We explore alternative ways to better reproduce the magnetic and…
A hypothesis for sunspot formation is the buoyant emergence of magnetic flux tubes created by the strong radial shear at the tachocline. In this scenario, the magnetic field has to exceed a threshold value before it becomes buoyant and…
We present a realistic numerical model of sunspot and active region formation based on the emergence of flux bundles generated in a solar convective dynamo. To this end we use the magnetic and velocity fields in a horizontal layer near the…
Some models for the topology of the magnetic field in sunspot penumbrae predict the existence of field-free or dynamically weak-field regions in the deep Photosphere. To confirm or rule out the existence of weak-field regions in the deepest…