Modeling the Effects of a Light Bridge on Properties of Magnetohydrodynamic Waves in Solar Pores

Abstract

Solar pores are ideal magnetic structures for wave propagation and transport of energy radially outwards across the upper layers of the solar atmosphere. We aim to model the excitation and propagation of magnetohydrodynamic waves in a pore with a light bridge modeled as two interacting magnetic flux tubes separated by a thin, weaker-field layer. We solve the three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equations numerically and calculate the circulation as a measure of net torsional motion. We find that the interaction between flux tubes results in the natural excitation of propagating torsional Alfvén waves but find no torsional waves in the model with a single flux tube. The torsional Alfvén waves propagate with wave speeds matching the local Alfvén speed where wave amplitude peaks.

Keywords

• Magnetohydrodynamics
• Solar oscillations
• Solar physics
• Solar photosphere
• Solar magnetic fields