Identification of Inertial Modes in the Solar Convection Zone

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2022

Abstract

The observation of global acoustic waves (p modes) in the Sun has been key to unveiling its internal structure and dynamics. A different kind of wave, known as sectoral Rossby modes, has been observed and identified, which potentially opens the door to probing internal processes that are inaccessible through p-mode helioseismology. Yet another set of waves, appearing as retrograde-propagating, equatorially antisymmetric vorticity waves, has also been observed but their identification remained elusive. Here, through a numerical model implemented as an eigenvalue problem, we provide evidence supporting the identification of those waves as a class of inertial eigenmodes, distinct from the Rossby-mode class, with radial velocities comparable to the horizontal ones deep in the convective zone but still small compared to the horizontal velocities toward the surface. We also suggest that the signature of tesseral-like Rossby modes might be present in recent observational data.

Identifier

85135079635 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal Letters

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac7dac

e-ISSN

20418213

ISSN

20418205

Issue

1

Volume

934

Grant

855677

Fund Ref

European Research Council

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