Transverse oscillations and an energy source in a strongly magnetized sunspot

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2023

Abstract

The solar corona is two to three orders of magnitude hotter than the underlying photosphere, and the energy loss of coronal plasma is extremely strong, requiring a heating flux of over 1,000 W m −2 to maintain its high temperature. Using the 1.6 m Goode Solar Telescope, we report a detection of ubiquitous and persistent transverse waves in umbral fibrils in the chromosphere of a strongly magnetized sunspot. The energy flux carried by these waves was estimated to be 7.52 × 106 W m−2, three to four orders of magnitude stronger than the energy loss rate of plasma in active regions. Two-fluid magnetohydrodynamic simulations reproduced the high-resolution observations and showed that these waves dissipate significant energy, which is vital for coronal heating. Such transverse oscillations and the associated strong energy flux may exist in a variety of magnetized regions on the Sun, and could be the observational target of next-generation solar telescopes.

Identifier

85160287989 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Nature Astronomy

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-01973-3

e-ISSN

23973366

First Page

856

Last Page

866

Issue

7

Volume

7

Grant

2108235

Fund Ref

Seoul National University

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