Leptocline as a shallow substructure of near-surface shear layer in 3D radiative hydrodynamic simulations

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2023

Abstract

Understanding the effects driven by rotation in the solar convection zone is essential for many problems related to solar activity, such as the formation of differential rotation, meridional circulation, and others. We analyse realistic 3D radiative hydrodynamics simulations of solar subsurface dynamics in the presence of rotation in a local domain 80 Mm wide and 25 Mm deep, located at 30° latitude. The simulation results reveal the development of a shallow 10 Mm deep substructure of the near-surface shear layer (NSSL), characterized by a strong radial rotational gradient and self-organized meridional flows. This shallow layer ('leptocline') is located in the hydrogen ionization zone associated with enhanced anisotropic overshooting-type flows into a less unstable layer between the H and He ii ionization zones. We discuss current observational evidence of the presence of the leptocline and show that the radial variations of the differential rotation and meridional flow profiles obtained from the simulations in this layer qualitatively agree with helioseismic observations.

Identifier

85146649508 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2946

e-ISSN

13652966

ISSN

00358711

First Page

504

Last Page

512

Issue

1

Volume

518

Grant

80NSSC20K0602

Fund Ref

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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