Related papers: On the outer boundary of the sunspot penumbra
MHD simulations of sunspots have successfully reproduced many aspects of sunspot fine structure as consequence of magneto convection in inclined magnetic field. We study how global sunspot properties and penumbral fine structure depend on…
Recent progress in theoretical modeling of a sunspot is reviewed. The observed properties of umbral dots are well reproduced by realistic simulations of magnetoconvection in a vertical, monolithic magnetic field. To understand the penumbra,…
The analyses of sunspot observations revealed a fundamental magnetic property of the umbral boundary, the invariance of the vertical component of the magnetic field. We aim to analyse the magnetic properties of the umbra-penumbra boundary…
Sunspots are the longest-known manifestation of solar activity, and their magnetic nature has been known for more than a century. Despite this, the boundary between umbrae and penumbrae, the two fundamental sunspot regions, has hitherto…
It was empirically determined that the umbra-penumbra boundaries of stable sunspots are characterized by a constant value of the vertical magnetic field. We analyzed the evolution of the photospheric magnetic field properties of a decaying…
The penumbra of a sunspot is a fascinating phenomenon featuring complex velocity and magnetic fields. It challenges both our understanding of radiative magneto-convection and our means to measure and derive the actual geometry of the…
The conjecture that energy transport in sunspot penumbrae occurs through convection by an interchange of magnetic flux tubes is used in order to construct a magnetostatic model for a deep penumbra which is part of a global sunspot model.…
The sunspot penumbra comprises numerous thin, radially elongated filaments that are central for heat transport within the penumbra, but whose structure is still not clear. To investigate the fine-scale structure of these filaments, we…
We demonstrate that the radial magnetic-field component at the outer boundary of the sunspot penumbra is about 550 Mx cm$^{-2}$ independent of the sunspot area and the maximum magnetic field in the umbra. The mean magnetic-field intensity…
Sunspots are concentrations of magnetic field on the visible solar surface that strongly affect the convective energy transport in their interior and surroundings. The filamentary outer regions (penumbrae) of sunspots show systematic radial…
The penumbra is ideally suited to challenge our understanding of magnetohydrodynamics. The energy transport takes place as magnetoconvection in inclined magnetic fields under the effect of strong radiative cooling at the surface. The…
The physics of Sunspots is a fascinating and demanding field of research in solar astronomy. Interaction of magnetic fields and plasma flows takes place in a tangled magnetic geometry and occurs on spatial scales that pose a continuous…
We investigate the spatial distribution of magnetic polarities in the penumbra of a spot observed very close to disk center. High-spatial resolution, high-cadence magnetograms taken with the Narrowband Filter Imager aboard Hinode are used…
Context. It has been reported that the boundary between the umbra and the penumbra of sunspots occurs at a canonical value of the strength of the vertical magnetic field, independently of the size of the spot. This critical field strength…
The uncombed penumbral model explains the structure of the sunspot penumbra in terms of thick magnetic fibrils embedded in a magnetic surrounding atmosphere. This model has been successfully applied to explain the polarization signals…
Context. Sunspot boundaries are commonly outlined by contours of the continuum intensity. However, their magnetic nature has not yet been fully characterised. Aims. We investigate the properties of the outer boundary of a long-lived sunspot…
Recent spectro-polarimetric observations of a sunspot showed the formation of bipolar magnetic patches in the mid penumbra and their propagation toward the outer penumbral boundary. The observations were interpreted as being caused by…
The sunspot penumbra is usually observed in the photosphere and it is of particular interest for its magneto-convection which seems to transport the heat from the top of the convection zone into the solar atmosphere. It is well known that…
Context. It is unclear why there is a rather sharp boundary in sunspots between the umbra and the penumbra. Both regions exhibit magnetoconvection, manifesting in penumbral filaments in the penumbra and in umbral dots in the umbra. Aims.…
We present numerical 2D magnetostatic models for sunspot penumbrae consisting of radially aligned field-free gaps in a potential magnetic field, as proposed by Spruit and Scharmer (2006). The shape of the gaps and the field configurations…