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Downward pumping of magnetic flux as the cause of filamentary structures in sunspot penumbrae

Author

Listed:
  • John H. Thomas

    (University of Cambridge
    University of Rochester)

  • Nigel O. Weiss

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Steven M. Tobias

    (The University of Leeds)

  • Nicholas H. Brummell

    (University of Colorado)

Abstract

The structure of a sunspot is determined by the local interaction between magnetic fields and convection near the Sun's surface1,2. The dark central umbra is surrounded by a filamentary penumbra, whose complicated fine structure has only recently been revealed by high-resolution observations3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14. The penumbral magnetic field has an intricate and unexpected interlocking-comb structure and some field lines, with associated outflows of gas15, dive back down below the solar surface at the outer edge of the spot. These field lines might be expected to float quickly back to the surface because of magnetic buoyancy, but they remain submerged. Here we show that the field lines are kept submerged outside the spot by turbulent, compressible convection, which is dominated by strong, coherent, descending plumes16,17. Moreover, this downward pumping of magnetic flux explains the origin of the interlocking-comb structure of the penumbral magnetic field, and the behaviour of other magnetic features near the sunspot.

Suggested Citation

  • John H. Thomas & Nigel O. Weiss & Steven M. Tobias & Nicholas H. Brummell, 2002. "Downward pumping of magnetic flux as the cause of filamentary structures in sunspot penumbrae," Nature, Nature, vol. 420(6914), pages 390-393, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:420:y:2002:i:6914:d:10.1038_nature01174
    DOI: 10.1038/nature01174
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