Helicity and winding fluxes as indicators of twisted flux emergence

DOI10.1080/03091929.2020.1740925zbMATH Open1482.76146arXiv1909.01071OpenAlexW3013047605WikidataQ114640021 ScholiaQ114640021MaRDI QIDQ5065740FDOQ5065740

Authors: David MacTaggart, C. B. Prior 

Publication date: 22 March 2022

Published in: Geophysical & Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Evidence for the emergence of twisted flux tubes into the solar atmosphere has, so far, come from indirect signatures. In this work, we investigate the topological input of twisted flux tube emergence directly by studying helicity and winding fluxes. In magnetohydrodynamic simulations with domains spanning from the top of the convection zone to the lower corona, we simulate the emergence of twisted flux tubes with a range of different initial field strengths. One important feature of this work is the inclusion of a convectively-unstable layer beneath the photosphere. We find approximately self-similar behaviour in the helicity input for the different field strengths considered. As the tubes rise and reach the photosphere, there is a strong input of negative helicity since we consider left-handed twisted tubes. This phase is then followed by a reduction of the negative input and, for low initial field strengths, a net positive helicity input. This phase corresponds to the growing influence of convection on the field and the development of serpentine field structures during emergence. The winding flux can be used to detect when the twisted cores of the tubes reach the photosphere, giving clear information about the input of topologically complex magnetic field into the solar atmosphere. In short, the helicity and winding fluxes can provide much information about how a magnetic field emerges that is not directly available from other sources, such as magnetograms. In evaulating the helicity content of these simualtions we test numerous means for creating synthetic magnetograms, including methods which acount for both the evolving geometry and the finite extent of the photosphere. Whilst the general qualitative behaviours are same in each case, the different forms of averaging do affect the helicity and winding inputs quantitatively.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.01071

Recommendations

• On the emergence of toroidal flux tubes: general dynamics and comparisons with the cylinder model
• Equilibrium and observational properties of line-tied twisted flux tubes
• Magnetic helicity accumulation and tilt angle evolution of newly emerging active regions
• Simple emergence structures from complex magnetic fields
• On self and mutual winding helicity

zbMATH Keywords

magnetohydrodynamicsmagnetic helicitymagnetic topologyfield line windingflux emergence

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Magnetohydrodynamics and electrohydrodynamics (76W05)

Cites Work

• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Towards the ultimate conservative difference scheme. V. A second-order sequel to Godunov's method
• Use of artificial viscosity in multidimensional fluid dynamic calculations
• The writhe of open and closed curves
• NOTE ON THE VIBRATION OF MEMBRANES
• A staggered grid, Lagrangian-Eulerian remap code for 3-D MHD simulations
• Topological invariants of field lines rooted to planes
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Using magnetic helicity, topology, and geometry to investigate complex magnetic fields
• Large-scale magnetic flux concentrations from turbulent stresses
• On the emergence of toroidal flux tubes: general dynamics and comparisons with the cylinder model

Cited In (9)

• Magnetic helicity budget of solar-active regions from the photosphere to magnetic clouds
• Magnetic helicity accumulation and tilt angle evolution of newly emerging active regions
• On the emergence of toroidal flux tubes: general dynamics and comparisons with the cylinder model
• Simple emergence structures from complex magnetic fields
• Intrinsic winding of braided vector fields in tubular subdomains
• On self and mutual winding helicity
• Equilibrium and observational properties of line-tied twisted flux tubes
• Axisymmetric magnetoconvection in a twisted field
• Effects of twist on the evolution of knotted magnetic flux tubes

This page was built for publication: Helicity and winding fluxes as indicators of twisted flux emergence

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q5065740)