arXiv subjects

D. B. Jess

Publications and source records attributed to D. B. Jess.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

A novel approach to identify resonant MHD wave modes in solar pores and sunspot umbrae: $B-ω$ analysis

The umbral regions of sunspots and pores in the solar photosphere are generally dominated by $3$~mHz oscillations, which are due to $p$-modes penetrating the magnetic region. In these locations, wave power is also significantly reduced with respect to the quiet Sun. However, here we study a pore where the power of the oscillations in the umbra is not only comparable, or even larger than that of the quiet Sun, but the main dominant frequency is not $3$~mHz as expected, but instead $5$~mHz. By combining Doppler velocities and spectropolarimetry and analysing the relationship between magnetic field strength and frequency, the resultant $B-ω$ diagram reveals distinct ridges which are remarkably clear signatures of resonant MHD oscillations confined within the pore umbra. In addition to velocity oscillations, we demonstrate that these modes are also accompanied by magnetic oscillations, as predicted from MHD theory. The novel technique of $B-ω$ analysis, proposed in this Letter, opens an exciting new avenue for identifying MHD wave modes in the umbral regions of both pores and sunspots.

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arXiv2020

Alfvenic Perturbations in a Sunspot Chromosphere Linked to Fractionated Plasma in the Corona

In this study, we investigate the spatial distribution of highly varying plasma composition around one of the largest sunspots of solar cycle 24. Observations of the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona are brought together with magnetic field modelling of the sunspot in order to probe the conditions which regulate the degree of plasma fractionation within loop populations of differing connectivities. We find that in the coronal magnetic field above the sunspot umbra, the plasma has photospheric composition. Coronal loops rooted in the penumbra contain fractionated plasma, with the highest levels observed in the loops that connect within the active region. Tracing field lines from regions of fractionated plasma in the corona to locations of Alfvenic fluctuations detected in the chromosphere shows that they are magnetically linked. These results indicate a connection between sunspot chromospheric activity and observable changes in coronal plasma composition.

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arXiv2020

Proper Orthogonal and Dynamic Mode Decomposition of Sunspot Data

High resolution solar observations show the complex structure of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave motion. We apply the techniques of POD and DMD to identify the dominant MHD wave modes in a sunspot using the intensity time series. The POD technique was used to find modes that are spatially orthogonal, whereas the DMD technique identifies temporal orthogonality. Here we show that the combined POD and DMD approaches can successfully identify both sausage and kink modes in a sunspot umbra with an approximately circular cross-sectional shape.

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arXiv2020

Spectropolarimetric Fluctuations in a Sunspot Chromosphere

The instrumental advances made in this new era of 4-meter class solar telescopes with unmatched spectropolarimetric accuracy and sensitivity, will enable the study of chromospheric magnetic fields and their dynamics with unprecedented detail. In this regard, spectropolarimetric diagnostics can provide invaluable insight into magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) wave processes. MHD waves and, in particular, Alfvénic fluctuations associated to particular wave modes, were recently recognized as important mechanisms not only for the heating of the outer layers of the Sun's atmosphere and the acceleration of the solar wind, but also for the elemental abundance anomaly observed in the corona of the Sun and other Sun-like stars (also known as first ionisation potential; FIP) effect. Here, we take advantage of state-of-the-art and unique spectropolarimetric IBIS observations to investigate the relation between intensity and circular polarisation (CP) fluctuations in a sunspot chromosphere. Our results show a clear link between the intensity and CP fluctuations in a patch which corresponds to a narrow range of magnetic field inclinations. This suggests the presence of Alfvénic perturbations in the sunspot.

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arXiv2020

Magnetohydrodynamic Non-linearities in Sunspot Atmospheres: Chromospheric Detections of Intermediate Shocks

The formation of shocks within the solar atmosphere remains one of the few observable signatures of energy dissipation arising from the plethora of magnetohydrodynamic waves generated close to the solar surface. Active region observations offer exceptional views of wave behavior and its impact on the surrounding atmosphere. The stratified plasma gradients present in the lower solar atmosphere allow for the potential formation of many theorized shock phenomena. In this study, using chromospheric Ca II 854.2nm spectropolarimetric data of a large sunspot, we examine fluctuations in the plasma parameters in the aftermath of powerful shock events that demonstrate polarimetric reversals during their evolution. Modern inversion techniques are employed to uncover perturbations in the temperatures, line-of-sight velocities, and vector magnetic fields occurring across a range of optical depths synonymous with the shock formation. Classification of these non-linear signatures is carried out by comparing the observationally-derived slow, fast, and Alfvén shock solutions to the theoretical Rankine-Hugoniot relations. Employing over 200,000 independent measurements, we reveal that the Alfvén (intermediate) shock solution provides the closest match between theory and observations at optical depths of log(tau) = -4, consistent with a geometric height at the boundary between the upper photosphere and lower chromosphere. This work uncovers first-time evidence of the manifestation of chromospheric intermediate shocks in sunspot umbrae, providing a new method for the potential thermalization of wave energy in a range of magnetic structures, including pores, magnetic flux ropes, and magnetic bright points.

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arXiv2019

The Temperature-dependent Damping of Propagating Slow Magnetoacoustic Waves

The rapid damping of slow magnetoacoustic waves in the solar corona has been extensively studied in previous years. Most studies suggest that thermal conduction is a dominant contributor to this damping, albeit with a few exceptions. Employing extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) imaging data from SDO/AIA, we measure the damping lengths of propagating slow magnetoacoustic waves observed in several fan-like loop structures using two independent methods. The dependence of the damping length on temperature has been studied for the first time. The results do not indicate any apparent decrease in damping length with temperature, which is in contrast to the existing viewpoint. Comparing with the corresponding theoretical values calculated from damping due to thermal conduction, it is inferred that thermal conduction is suppressed in hotter loops. An alternative interpretation that suggests thermal conduction is not the dominant damping mechanism, even for short period waves in warm active region loops, is also presented.

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arXiv2019

A Search for High-Frequency Coronal Brightness Variations in the 21 August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

We report on a search for short-period intensity variations in the green-line FeXIV 530.3 nm emission from the solar corona during the 21 August 2017 total eclipse viewed from Idaho in the United States. Our experiment was performed with a much more sensitive detection system, and with better spatial resolution, than on previous occasions (1999 and 2001 eclipses), allowing fine details of quiet coronal loops and an active-region loop system to be seen. A guided 200-mm-aperture Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope was used with a state-of-the-art CCD camera having 16-bit intensity discrimination and a field-of-view 0.43 degree x 0.43 degree that encompassed approximately one third of the visible corona. The camera pixel size was 1.55 arcseconds, while the seeing during the eclipse enabled features of approx. 2 arcseconds (1450 km on the Sun) to be resolved. A total of 429 images were recorded during a 122.9 second portion of the totality at a frame rate of 3.49 images per second. In the analysis, we searched particularly for short-period intensity oscillations and travelling waves, since theory predicts fast-mode magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) waves with short periods may be important in quiet coronal and active-region heating. Allowing first for various instrumental and photometric effects, we used a wavelet technique to search for periodicities in some 404 000 pixels in the frequency range 0.5-1.6 Hz (periods: 2 second to 0.6 second). We also searched for travelling waves along some 65 coronal structures. However, we found no statistically significant evidence in either. This negative result considerably refines the limit that we obtained from our previous analyses, and it indicates that future searches for short-period coronal waves may be better directed towards Doppler shifts as well as intensity oscillations.

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arXiv2018

Propagating Spectropolarimetric Disturbances in a Large Sunspot

We present results derived from the analysis of spectropolarimetric measurements of active region AR12546, which represents one of the largest sunspots to have emerged onto the solar surface over the last $20$ years. The region was observed with full-Stokes scans of the Fe I 617.3 nm and Ca II 854.2 nm lines with the Interferometric BIdimensional Spectrometer (IBIS) instrument at the Dunn Solar Telescope over an uncommon, extremely long time interval exceeding three hours. Clear circular polarization (CP) oscillations localized at the umbra-penumbra boundary of the observed region were detected. Furthermore, the multi-height data allowed us to detect the downward propagation of both CP and intensity disturbances at $2.5-3$~mHz, which was identified by a phase delay between these two quantities. These results are interpreted as a propagating magneto-hydrodynamic surface mode in the observed sunspot.

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arXiv2018

The polytropic index of solar coronal plasma in sunspot fan loops and its temperature dependence

Observations of slow magneto-acoustic waves have been demonstrated to possess a number of applications in coronal seismology. Determination of the polytropic index ($γ$) is one such important application. Analysing the amplitudes of oscillations in temperature and density corresponding to a slow magneto-acoustic wave, the polytropic index in the solar corona has been calculated and based on the obtained value it has been inferred that thermal conduction is highly suppressed in a very hot loop in contrast to an earlier report of high thermal conduction in a relatively colder loop. In this study, using SDO/AIA data, we analysed slow magneto-acoustic waves propagating along sunspot fan loops from 30 different active regions and computed polytropic indices for several loops at multiple spatial positions. The obtained $γ$ values vary from 1.04$\pm$0.01 to 1.58$\pm$0.12 and most importantly display a temperature dependence indicating higher $γ$ at hotter temperatures. This behaviour brings both the previous studies to agreement and perhaps implies a gradual suppression of thermal conduction with increase in temperature of the loop. The observed phase shifts between temperature and density oscillations, however, are substantially larger than that expected from a classical thermal conduction and appear to be influenced by a line-of-sight integration effect on the emission measure.

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arXiv2018

Alfvén Wave Dissipation in the Solar Chromosphere

Magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) Alfvén waves have been a focus of laboratory plasma physics and astrophysics for over half a century. Their unique nature makes them ideal energy transporters, and while the solar atmosphere provides preferential conditions for their existence, direct detection has proved difficult as a result of their evolving and dynamic observational signatures. The viability of Alfvén waves as a heating mechanism relies upon the efficient dissipation and thermalization of the wave energy, with direct evidence remaining elusive until now. Here we provide the first observational evidence of Alfvén waves heating chromospheric plasma in a sunspot umbra through the formation of shock fronts. The magnetic field configuration of the shock environment, alongside the tangential velocity signatures, distinguish them from conventional umbral flashes. Observed local temperature enhancements of 5% are consistent with the dissipation of mode-converted Alfvén waves driven by upwardly propagating magneto-acoustic oscillations, providing an unprecedented insight into the behaviour of Alfvén waves in the solar atmosphere and beyond.

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arXiv2018

The Magnetic Response of the Solar Atmosphere to Umbral Flashes

Chromospheric observations of sunspot umbrae offer an exceptional view of magneto-acoustic shock phenomena and the impact they have on the surrounding magnetically-dominated plasma. We employ simultaneous slit-based spectro-polarimetry and spectral imaging observations of the chromospheric He I 10830Å and Ca II 8542Å lines to examine fluctuations in the umbral magnetic field caused by the steepening of magneto-acoustic waves into umbral flashes. Following the application of modern inversion routines, we find evidence to support the scenario that umbral shock events cause expansion of the embedded magnetic field lines due to the increased adiabatic pressure. The large number statistics employed allow us to calculate the adiabatic index, gamma = 1.12 +/- 0.01, for chromospheric umbral locations. Examination of the vector magnetic field fluctuations perpendicular to the solar normal revealed changes up to ~200 G at the locations of umbral flashes. Such transversal magnetic field fluctuations have not been described before. Through comparisons with non-linear force-free field extrapolations, we find that the perturbations of the transverse field components are orientated in the same direction as the quiescent field geometries. This implies that magnetic field enhancements produced by umbral flashes are directed along the motion path of the developing shock, hence producing relatively small changes, up to a maximum of ~8 degrees, in the inclination and/or azimuthal directions of the magnetic field. Importantly, this work highlights that umbral flashes are able to modify the full vector magnetic field, with the detection of the weaker transverse magnetic field components made possible by high-resolution data combined with modern inversion routines.

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arXiv2017

The Frequency-dependent Damping of Slow Magnetoacoustic Waves in a Sunspot Umbral Atmosphere

High spatial and temporal resolution images of a sunspot, obtained simultaneously in multiple optical and UV wavelengths, are employed to study the propagation and damping characteristics of slow magnetoacoustic waves up to transition region heights. Power spectra are generated from intensity oscillations in sunspot umbra, across multiple atmospheric heights, for frequencies up to a few hundred mHz. It is observed that the power spectra display a power-law dependence over the entire frequency range, with a significant enhancement around 5.5 mHz found for the chromospheric channels. The phase-difference spectra reveal a cutoff frequency near 3 mHz, up to which the oscillations are evanescent, while those with higher frequencies propagate upwards. The power-law index appears to increase with atmospheric height. Also, shorter damping lengths are observed for oscillations with higher frequencies suggesting frequency-dependent damping. Using the relative amplitudes of the 5.5 mHz (3 minute) oscillations, we estimate the energy flux at different heights, which seems to decay gradually from the photosphere, in agreement with recent numerical simulations. Furthermore, a comparison of power spectra across the umbral radius highlights an enhancement of high-frequency waves near the umbral center, which does not seem to be related to magnetic field inclination angle effects.

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arXiv2017

The Changing Face of $α$ Centauri B: Probing plage and stellar activity in K-dwarfs

A detailed knowledge of stellar activity is crucial for understanding stellar dynamos, as well as pushing exoplanet radial-velocity detection limits towards Earth analogue confirmation. We directly compare archival HARPS spectra taken at the minimum in $α$ Cen B's activity cycle to a high-activity state when clear rotational modulation of $\log{R'_{HK}}$ is visible. Relative to the inactive spectra, we find a large number of narrow pseudo-emission features in the active spectra with strengths that are rotationally modulated. These features most likely originate from plage, spots, or a combination of both. They also display radial velocity variations of $\sim$300 m s$^{-1}$ - consistent with an active region rotating across the stellar surface. Furthermore, we see evidence that some of the lines originating from the `active immaculate' photosphere appear broader relative to the `inactive immaculate' case. This may be due to enhanced contributions of e.g. magnetic bright points to these lines, which then causes additional line broadening. More detailed analysis may enable measurements of plage and spot coverage using single spectra in the future.

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arXiv2016

Unravelling the components of a multi-thermal coronal loop using magnetohydrodynamic seismology

Coronal loops, constituting the basic building blocks of the active Sun, serve as primary targets to help understand the mechanisms responsible for maintaining multi-million Kelvin temperatures in the solar and stellar coronae. Despite significant advances in observations and theory, our knowledge on the fundamental properties of these structures is limited. Here, we present unprecedented observations of accelerating slow magnetoacoustic waves along a coronal loop that show differential propagation speeds in two distinct temperature channels, revealing the multi-stranded and multi-thermal nature of the loop. Utilizing the observed speeds and employing nonlinear force-free magnetic field extrapolations, we derive the actual temperature variation along the loop in both channels, and thus are able to resolve two individual components of the multi-thermal loop for the first time. The obtained positive temperature gradients indicate uniform heating along the loop, rather than isolated footpoint heating.

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arXiv2016

Observations and simulations of the Na I D1 line profiles in an M-class solar flare

We study the temporal evolution of the Na I D1 line profiles in the M3.9 flare SOL2014-06-11T21:03 UT, using high spectral resolution observations obtained with the IBIS instrument on the Dunn Solar Telescope combined with radiative hydrodynamic simulations. Our results show a significant increase in line core and wing intensities during the flare. The analysis of the line profiles from the flare ribbons reveal that the Na I D1 line has a central reversal with excess emission in the blue wing (blue asymmetry). We combine RADYN and RH simulations to synthesise Na I D1 line profiles of the flaring atmosphere and find good agreement with the observations. Heating with a beam of electrons modifies the radiation field in the flaring atmosphere and excites electrons from the ground state $\mathrm{3s~^2S}$ to the first excited state $\mathrm{3p~^2P}$, which in turn modifies relative population of the two states. The change in temperature and the population density of the energy states make the sodium line profile revert from absorption into emission. Analysis of the simulated spectra also reveals that the Na I D1 flare profile asymmetries are produced by the velocity gradients generated %and opacity effects in the lower solar atmosphere.

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arXiv2016

Solar coronal magnetic fields derived using seismology techniques applied to omnipresent sunspot waves

Sunspots on the surface of the Sun are the observational signatures of intense manifestations of tightly packed magnetic field lines, with near-vertical field strengths exceeding 6,000 G in extreme cases. It is well accepted that both the plasma density and the magnitude of the magnetic field strength decrease rapidly away from the solar surface, making high-cadence coronal measurements through traditional Zeeman and Hanle effects difficult since the observational signatures are fraught with low-amplitude signals that can become swamped with instrumental noise. Magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) techniques have previously been applied to coronal structures, with single and spatially isolated magnetic field strengths estimated as 9-55 G. A drawback with previous MHD approaches is that they rely on particular wave modes alongside the detectability of harmonic overtones. Here we show, for the first time, how omnipresent magneto-acoustic waves, originating from within the underlying sunspot and propagating radially outwards, allow the spatial variation of the local coronal magnetic field to be mapped with high precision. We find coronal magnetic field strengths of 32 +/- 5 G above the sunspot, which decrease rapidly to values of approximately 1 G over a lateral distance of 7000 km, consistent with previous isolated and unresolved estimations. Our results demonstrate a new, powerful technique that harnesses the omnipresent nature of sunspot oscillations to provide magnetic field mapping capabilities close to a magnetic source in the solar corona.

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arXiv2016

Time-dependent suppression of oscillatory power in evolving solar magnetic fields

Oscillation amplitudes are generally smaller within magnetically active regions like sunspots and plage, when compared to their surroundings. Such magnetic features, when viewed in spatially-resolved powermaps, appear as regions of suppressed power due to reductions in the oscillation amplitudes. Employing high spatial- and temporal-resolution observations from the Dunn Solar Telescope (DST) in New Mexico, we study the power suppression in a region of evolving magnetic fields adjacent to a pore. By utilising wavelet analysis, we study for the first time, how the oscillatory properties in this region change as the magnetic field evolves with time. Image sequences taken in the blue continuum, G-band, Ca~\textsc{ii}~K and H$α$ filters were used in this study. It is observed that the suppression found in the chromosphere occupies a relatively larger area confirming previous findings. Also, the suppression is extended to structures directly connected to the magnetic region and is found to get enhanced as the magnetic field strength increased with time. The dependence of the suppression on the magnetic field strength is greater at longer periods and higher formation heights. Furthermore, the dominant periodicity in the chromosphere was found to be anti-correlated with increases in the magnetic field strength.

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arXiv2015

On the Source of Propagating Slow Magneto-acoustic Waves in Sunspots

Recent high-resolution observations of sunspot oscillations using simultaneously operated ground- and space-based telescopes reveal the intrinsic connection between different layers of the solar atmosphere. However, it is not clear whether these oscillations are externally driven or generated in-situ. We address this question by using observations of propagating slow magneto-acoustic waves along a coronal fan loop system. In addition to the generally observed decreases in oscillation amplitudes with distance, the observed wave amplitudes are also found to be modulated with time, with similar variations observed throughout the propagation path of the wavetrain. Employing multi-wavelength and multi-instrument data we study the amplitude variations with time as the waves propagate through different layers of the solar atmosphere. By comparing the amplitude-modulation period in different layers, we find that slow magneto-acoustic waves observed in sunspots are externally driven by photospheric p-modes, which propagate upwards into the corona before becoming dissipated.

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